Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by 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 mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding:
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
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, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
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 midst of the night, and the gloom;
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
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, embolding her face, she said to him:
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
Peace-offerings, are by me, to-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.
For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently 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;
Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
I have sprinkled 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 endearments, until morning, let us delight ourselves with caresses;
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
A bag of silver, hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon, will he enter his house.
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
Going after her instantly, as an ox, to the slaughter, he entereth, and, as in fetters, unto the correction of a 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.
Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
Let not thy heart, turn aside to her ways, Do not go 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, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
