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 teaching, 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 intelligence [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 stranger who 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 sons, 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 blackness of night and 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 in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
now without, now in the broadways, — and she lieth in wait at every corner.
13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
I have peace-offerings 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, to seek earnestly 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 decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my couch 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 revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
For the husband 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 the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.
21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
With her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.
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 went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for 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 its life.
24 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
And now, ye 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, and all slain by her were strong.
