Proverbs 7
1 My sonne, keepe my wordes, and hide my commandements with thee.
My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
2 Keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue, and mine instruction as the apple of thine eyes.
Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Binde them vpon thy fingers, and write them vpon the table of thine heart.
Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
4 Say vnto wisedome, Thou art my sister: and call vnderstanding thy kinswoman,
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
5 That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger that is smoothe in her wordes.
So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
6 As I was in the window of mine house, I looked through my windowe,
For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
7 And I sawe among the fooles, and considered among the children a yong man destitute of vnderstanding,
and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
8 Who passed through the streete by her corner, and went toward her house,
who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
9 In the twilight in the euening, when the night began to be blacke and darke.
He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
10 And beholde, there met him a woman with an harlots behauiour, and subtill in heart.
And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
11 (She is babling and loud: whose feete can not abide in her house.
unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
12 Nowe she is without, nowe in the streetes, and lyeth in waite at euery corner)
now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
13 So she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said vnto him,
And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
14 I haue peace offerings: this day haue I payed my vowes.
“I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meete thee, that I might seeke thy face: and I haue found thee.
Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
16 I haue deckt my bed with ornaments, carpets and laces of Egypt.
I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
17 I haue perfumed my bedde with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom.
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning: let vs take our pleasure in daliance.
Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
19 For mine husband is not at home: he is gone a iourney farre off.
For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
20 He hath taken with him a bagge of siluer, and will come home at the day appointed.
He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
21 Thus with her great craft she caused him to yeelde, and with her flattering lips she entised him.
She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
22 And he followed her straight wayes, as an oxe that goeth to the slaughter, and as a foole to the stockes for correction,
Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
23 Till a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, not knowing that he is in danger.
until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
24 Heare me now therefore, O children, and hearken to the wordes of my mouth.
Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thine heart decline to her wayes: wander thou not in her paths.
Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
26 For shee hath caused many to fall downe wounded, and the strong men are all slaine by her.
For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
