Proverbs 7
1 My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 That they may keep thee from an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on 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 of the day, in the depth of the night and when it was dark:
In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
10 And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 (She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 “I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 With tapestry coverings have I decked my bed, with embroidered coverlids of the fine linen of Egypt.
I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us indulge in love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with dalliances.
Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
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, he is gone a very 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.”
He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
21 She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
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 an arrow cleaveth through his liver; as a bird hasteneth into the snare, and knoweth not that it is done to take 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 And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
Now therefore, my son, hear 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 thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
26 For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
