Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20 He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him his life.
24 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
