Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
6 For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 “Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee!
So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
16 I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
17 I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;
For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
20 He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
21 By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; —As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
24 Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
