Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine 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 understanding thy near acquaintance;
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, 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 spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled 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 take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; —As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
