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, and lay up my commandments with you.
2 keep my commandments, and you shall live; and [keep] my words as the pupils of [your] eyes.
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.
3 And bind them on your fingers, and write [them] on the table of your heart.
Bind them upon your fingers, write them upon the table of your heart.
4 Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself;
Say unto wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your kinswoman:
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 stranger which 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 through my casement,
7 passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
And beheld 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; and 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, in the black and dark night:
10 and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes the hearts of young men to flutter.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not 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 is she without, now in the streets, and lies in wait 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, and with an shameless face said unto him,
14 I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 therefore I came forth to meet you, desiring your face; [and] I have found you.
Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to 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 decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen 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 us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
For the goodman is not at home, he is gone 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, and will come home at the day appointed.
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 her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced 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 goes after her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for [his] life.
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hastes to the snare, and knows not that it is for his life.
24 Now then, [my] son, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Hearken unto me now therefore, O all of you children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways:
Let not your heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable.
For she has cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
