Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding:
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
5 That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.
that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.
6 For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
7 And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
8 Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the midst of the night, and the gloom;
at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
10 And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
11 Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
12 Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
14 Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
15 For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:
So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
16 Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;
I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18 Come! let us take our fill of endearments, until morning, let us delight ourselves with caresses;
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
19 For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20 A bag of silver, hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon, will he enter his house.
He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
21 She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
22 Going after her instantly, as an ox, to the slaughter, he entereth, and, as in fetters, unto the correction of a fool.
He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
23 Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!
until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing it will cost him his life.
24 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart, turn aside to her ways, Do not go astray, in her paths.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
26 For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
