Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.
Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence [thy] kinswoman:
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5 that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.
That they may keep thee from an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
6 For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice,
For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
7 and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,
And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
8 passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on the way to her house,
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the depth of the night and when it was dark:
10 And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
11 She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:
(She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
12 now without, now in the broadways, — and she lieth in wait at every corner.
At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
13 And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
14 I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:
“I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
15 therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek earnestly thy face, and I have found thee.
Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;
With tapestry coverings have I decked my bed, with embroidered coverlids of the fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.
Come, let us indulge in love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with dalliances.
19 For the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
20 he hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.
The bag of money hath he taken with him, by the day of the new-moon festival only will he come home.”
21 With her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.
She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
22 He went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for the correction of the fool;
He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
23 till an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.
Till an arrow cleaveth through his liver; as a bird hasteneth into the snare, and knoweth not that it is done to take his life.
24 And now, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths.
26 for she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.
For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
