Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, My sister, thou! and, an acquaintance, call thou, understanding:
Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
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 thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her 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 my casement,
7 And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the midst of the night, and the gloom;
In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
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 of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and 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 until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
For the goodman is not at home, he is gone 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 hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced 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 goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!
Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, 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.
Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
