Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from 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 take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very 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: he mill return home 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.
She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
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;
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,
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 the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
24 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, my son, hear 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 mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with 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 the strongest have been slain by her.
