Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
My son, observe my sayings, and my commandments must thou treasure up with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
Observe my commandments, and live: and my teaching as the apple of thy eyes.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
Bind them around thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy 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 an adulterous woman, from an alien that useth flattering speeches.
6 For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
For through the window of my house, through my lattice did I [once] look out,
7 And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a lad void of sense;
8 Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
He was passing through the market-place near her corner; and he stepped along on 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 of the day, in the depth of the night and when it was dark:
10 And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
And, behold, a woman came to meet him with the attire of a harlot, and obdurate of heart.
11 Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
(She is noisy and ungovernable; in her house her feet never rest;
12 Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
At one time she is in the street, at another in the open places, and near every corner doth she lurk, )
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
And she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said to him,
14 Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
“I had bound myself to bring peace-offerings; this day have I paid my vows:
15 For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:
Therefore am I come forth to meet thee, to seek thy presence diligently, and I have found thee.
16 Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;
With tapestry coverings have I decked my bed, with embroidered coverlids of the fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:
I have sprinkled my couch 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 indulge in love until the morning: let us delight ourselves with dalliances.
19 For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
For the man is not in his house, he is gone on a journey a great way off:
20 A bag of silver, hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon, will he enter his house.
The bag of money hath he taken with him, by the day of the new-moon festival only will he come home.”
21 She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
She seduced him by the abundance of her reasoning: by the flattery of her lips she misguided 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 followed after her suddenly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as in fetters to his correction, the fool:
23 Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, as a bird hasteth into a snare, and knoweth not, that, for his life, it is!
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.
24 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
And now, O children, hearken unto me, and listen to the sayings of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart, turn aside to her ways, Do not go astray, in her paths.
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, do not go astray on her paths.
26 For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
For many deadly wounded hath she caused to fall: yea, very numerous are all those slain by her.
