Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
My son, accept what I say and value my instructions.
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
Do what I tell you and you will live. Observe my teachings, valuing them as your main focus in life.
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
Tie them to your fingers; write them in your mind.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
Tell wisdom, “You're my sister,” and call insight your best friend.
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
They will protect you from the immoral woman, from the prostitute with her seductive words.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
One time I looked through the lattice of the window in my house,
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
and I saw among the immature young men one who had no sense at all.
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
He was walking down the street near the corner where she lived and took the road passing her house.
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
It was at dusk in the evening, as the light was fading and the dark night closed in.
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
Then out came a woman came to meet him. She was dressed as a prostitute and had deceptive intentions.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
(She was loud and provocative, never wanting to stay at home.
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
One moment she'd be walking the streets, the next she'd be there in the town squares, loitering at every corner.)
13 So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
She grabbed hold of him and kissed him, and with a bold face she told him,
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
“I sacrificed my peace offering today, and paid my vows.
15 So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
That's why I came out to meet you. I was looking for you and now I've found you!
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
My bed is made, covered with colorful linens from Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
I've sprinkled perfume on my bed—myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
Come with me, let's make love until the morning. Let's enjoy one another in our love-making!
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long trip.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
He took a bag of money with him, and he won't be coming back until the full moon.”
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
She convinced him with all that she said; she seduced him with her smooth talking.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
He followed her right away, like an ox to the slaughter. Like a stag that's caught in a snare
23 Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird flying into a trap, he's unaware he will pay with his life.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
So now listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to what I'm saying.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
Don't even think about following her. Don't stray down her road.
26 For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
For she has brought down and destroyed a lot of men; she's killed so many.
