Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every 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 she said unto him:
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
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 meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
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 an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray 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 she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
