Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence [thy] kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice,
7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
now without, now in the broadways, — and she lieth in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, 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 decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of 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 take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
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 long journey;
For the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
he hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
With her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained 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 went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for the correction of the fool;
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.
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, O ye children, hearken unto 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 heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:
26 For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
for she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.
