Proverbs 7
1 [My] son, keep my words, and hide with you my commandments. [My] son, honor the Lord, and you shall be strong; and fear none but him:
My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 keep my commandments, and you shall live; and [keep] my words as the pupils of [your] eyes.
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 And bind them on your fingers, and write [them] on the table of your heart.
Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself;
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 that she may keep you from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail you with flattering words.
that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For she looks from a window out of her house into the streets, at one whom she may see of the senseless ones, a young man void of understanding,
For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 and speaking, in the dark of the evening,
passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 when there happens [to be] the stillness of night and of darkness:
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes the hearts of young men to flutter.
Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
She is loud and defiant. Her feet do not stay in her house.
12 For at one time she wanders without, and at [another] time she lies in wait in the streets, at every corner.
Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 therefore I came forth to meet you, desiring your face; [and] I have found you.
Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double tapestry from Egypt.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace in love.
Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
For my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will return to his house.
He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the snares of her lips forced him from [the right path].
With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 And he followed her, being gently led on, and [that] as an ox is led to the slaughter, and as a dog to bonds, or as a hart shot in the liver with an arrow:
He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for [his] life.
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and does not know that it will cost his life.
24 Now then, [my] son, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways:
Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Do not go astray in her paths,
26 for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable.
for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
