Proverbs 7
1 [My] son, keep my words, and hide with you my commandments. [My] son, honour the Lord, and you shall be strong; and fear none but him:
My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 keep my commandments, and you shall live; and [keep] my words as the pupils of [your] eyes.
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 And bind them on your fingers, and write [them] on the table of your heart.
Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself;
Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 that she may keep you from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail you with flattering words.
That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 For she looks from a window out of her house into the streets, at one whom she may see of the senseless ones, a young man void of understanding,
For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 and speaking, in the dark of the evening,
Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
9 when there happens [to be] the stillness of night and of darkness:
In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
10 and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes the hearts of young men to flutter.
And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 For at one time she wanders without, and at [another] time she lies in wait in the streets, at every corner.
Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 therefore I came forth to meet you, desiring your face; [and] I have found you.
Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double tapestry from Egypt.
I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace in love.
Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
19 For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
20 having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will return to his house.
He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
21 So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the snares of her lips forced him from [the right path].
She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 And he followed her, being gently led on, and [that] as an ox is led to the slaughter, and as a dog to bonds, or as a hart shot in the liver with an arrow:
Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,
23 and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for [his] life.
Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
24 Now then, [my] son, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways:
Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
26 for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable.
For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
