Proverbs 7
1 My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 That they may keep thee from an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
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,
passing through the street near her corner, he went 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:
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 (She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay 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, )
Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today 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 came out to meet you, to diligently seek 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 couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of 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’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
For my husband isn’t at home. He has 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.”
He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided him.
With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
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.
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24 And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths.
Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
