Proverbs 7
1 My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
[My] son, keep my words, and hide with you my commandments. [My] son, honour the Lord, and you shall be strong; and fear none but him:
2 Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
keep my commandments, and you shall live; and [keep] my words as the pupils of [your] eyes.
3 Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
And bind them on your fingers, and write [them] on the table of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Say that wisdom is your sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for yourself;
5 That they may keep thee from an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
that she may keep you from the strange and wicked woman, if she should assail you with flattering words.
6 For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
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,
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
8 He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on the way to her house,
and speaking, in the dark of the evening,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the depth of the night and when it was dark:
when there happens [to be] the stillness of night and of darkness:
10 And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes the hearts of young men to flutter.
11 (She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
12 At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
For at one time she wanders without, and at [another] time she lies in wait in the streets, at every corner.
13 And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,
14 “I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
15 Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
therefore I came forth to meet you, desiring your face; [and] I have found you.
16 With tapestry coverings have I decked my bed, with embroidered coverlids of the fine linen of Egypt.
I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double tapestry from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
18 Come, let us indulge in love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with dalliances.
Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace in love.
19 For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
20 The bag of money hath he taken with him, by the day of the new-moon festival only will he come home.”
having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will return to his house.
21 She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the snares of her lips forced him from [the right path].
22 He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
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:
23 Till an arrow cleaveth through his liver; as a bird hasteneth into the snare, and knoweth not that it is done to take his life.
and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running for [his] life.
24 And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
Now then, [my] son, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths.
Let not your heart turn aside to her ways:
26 For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain are innumerable.
