Proverbs 7
1 My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight—in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
She is loud and defiant. Her feet do not stay in her house.
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
“Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
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 has gone on a long journey.
For my husband is not at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Until an arrow splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and does not know that it will cost his life.
24 And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
Do not let your heart turn to her ways. Do not go astray in her paths,
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
