Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
My sonne, keepe my wordes, and hide my commandements with thee.
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
Keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue, and mine instruction as the apple of thine eyes.
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
Binde them vpon thy fingers, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
Say vnto wisedome, Thou art my sister: and call vnderstanding thy kinswoman,
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger that is smoothe in her wordes.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
As I was in the window of mine house, I looked through my windowe,
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
And I sawe among the fooles, and considered among the children a yong man destitute of vnderstanding,
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
Who passed through the streete by her corner, and went toward her house,
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
In the twilight in the euening, when the night began to be blacke and darke.
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
And beholde, there met him a woman with an harlots behauiour, and subtill in heart.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
(She is babling and loud: whose feete can not abide in her house.
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
Nowe she is without, nowe in the streetes, and lyeth in waite at euery corner)
13 So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
So she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said vnto him,
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
I haue peace offerings: this day haue I payed my vowes.
15 So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
Therefore came I forth to meete thee, that I might seeke thy face: and I haue found thee.
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
I haue deckt my bed with ornaments, carpets and laces of Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
I haue perfumed my bedde with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning: let vs take our pleasure in daliance.
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
For mine husband is not at home: he is gone a iourney farre off.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
He hath taken with him a bagge of siluer, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
Thus with her great craft she caused him to yeelde, and with her flattering lips she entised him.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
And he followed her straight wayes, as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter, and as a foole to the stockes for correction,
23 Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
Till a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
Heare me now therefore, O children, and hearken to the wordes of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
Let not thine heart decline to her wayes: wander thou not in her paths.
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 shee hath caused many to fall downe wounded, and the strong men are all slaine by her.
