Proverbs 7
1 My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
My son, heed my advice, and guard my instructions [as you would] [MET] [guard] a treasure.
2 Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
Obey my commands, and [as a result you will] live [a good life]. Consider the things that I teach you [to be very precious]; guard them, [just] like you protect your eyes.
3 Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Tie my commands around your fingers [in order that they will remind you to obey them]. Always keep them in mind [MET].
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
[Love] wisdom [like you love] your sister. Understand what is wise, [and let that be as dear to you as] members of your family.
5 That they may keep thee from an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
If you are wise and if you understand what is wise [PRS], you will not [sleep with] an immoral woman; you will not listen to a woman who tries to entice you [to sleep with her] by what she says.
6 For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
One day, I was standing at the window inside my house, and I looked outside.
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
I saw some young men who did not have good sense. Among them was a man who was very foolish.
8 He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on the way to her house,
He crossed the street near [the house of] an immoral woman. He was walking along the path toward 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, when it was getting dark [DOU].
10 And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
Suddenly the woman came out to see/meet him. She was dressed (seductively/like a prostitute), wanting to persuade him to sleep with her.
11 (She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
She was a loud talker, one who was rebellious; she [SYN] never stayed at home.
12 At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
She often went into the city streets and plazas/markets, waiting to trap some man.
13 And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
[When she saw that young man], she put her arms around him and kissed him. Then without being a bit ashamed, she said,
14 “I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
“I have [some meat that is left over from] a sacrifice that I made today [to maintain fellowship with Yahweh]; I have fulfilled/done what I promised him that I would do.
15 Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
And now I have come out to meet/see you. I was searching for you, and [now] I have found you!
16 With tapestry coverings have I decked my bed, with embroidered coverlids of the fine linen of Egypt.
I have put on my bed sheets/bedspreads that were made from [very fine] linen [that were imported] {[people brought]} from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled [sweet-smelling] perfumes on my bed— myrrh and aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us indulge in love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with dalliances.
Come [with me]; let us enjoy having sex until [tomorrow] morning. Let’s enjoy making love.
19 For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
My husband is not at home; he has gone away 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.”
He is carrying a wallet filled with money, and he will not return until the middle of this month.”
21 She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
[So] she persuaded him by [her] enticing/tempting words. She allured him by her smooth/sweet talk.
22 He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
[And] he went with her immediately, like an ox that was going to where it would be slaughtered, or like a deer (OR, a fool) that is stepping into a noose/trap,
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.
where it will remain/stay until someone shoots an arrow into its liver [and kills it]. [He was] like a bird that flew into a trap. He did not know that (it would cost him his life/he would die as a result).
24 And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
My son, listen to what I say; pay [careful] attention to my words.
25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths.
Do not allow anything to arouse/persuade you to go with an immoral woman like that. Do not go where she goes.
26 For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
She has caused many men to be ruined; truly, no one can count the men she has killed.
