Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with you.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Bind them on your fingers, write them on the table of your heart.
Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your kinswoman:
Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 That they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger which flatters with 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 through my casement,
For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 And beheld among the simple 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, in the black and dark night:
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 an harlot, and subtle of heart.
And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lies 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 said to him,
And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 I have peace offerings with 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 you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen 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 the manager 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 has taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
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 caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 He goes after her straightway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
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 a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastens to the snare, and knows not that it is for 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 Listen to me now therefore, O you children, 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 your 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 has cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.
For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
