Proverbs 7
1 My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy 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 an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on 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 of the day, in the depth of the night and when it was dark:
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 (She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 “I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, 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 spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled 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 take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
For the good-man is not at home; He is gone 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.”
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
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 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 an arrow strike through his liver; —As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
24 And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken 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 thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
