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 you.
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 your eye.
3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
Bind them on your fingers, write them on the table of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your 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 you from the strange woman, from the stranger which flatters 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 through my casement,
7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
And 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, in the black and dark night:
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 an harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies 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 said to 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 you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen 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 manager 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 has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced 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 goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
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 a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Listen to me now therefore, O you children, 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 your 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 has cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.
