< Proverbs 7 >

1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
6 For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
9 In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
(She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
20 He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 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,
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 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.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the inner chambers of death. (Sheol h7585)
Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death. (Sheol h7585)

< Proverbs 7 >