Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
My son! Keep my sayings, And lay up my commands with you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and mine instruction, as the pupil of thine eye;
Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of your eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them, on the tablet of thy heart;
Bind them on 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 cry to understanding, “Relative!”
5 That thou mayest be kept, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who, with her speeches, doth flatter.
To preserve you from a strange woman, From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
6 For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
For at a window of my house, I have looked out through my casement,
7 And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
And I see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
8 Passing through the street, near her corner, and, on the way to her house, he sauntered along;
Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he steps,
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 day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
10 And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
11 Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
12 Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And she lies in wait near every corner)—
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
And she laid hold on him and kissed him, She has hardened her face and says to him,
14 Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
“Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, Today I have completed my vows.
15 For this cause, came I forth to meet thee, to seek diligently thy face, and I have found thee:
Therefore I have come forth to meet you, To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
16 Coverlets, have I spread on my couch of pleasure, dark-hued stuffs, of the yarn of Egypt;
I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:
I sprinkled 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, we are filled [with] love until the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.
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 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 has taken a bag of money in his hand, At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
21 She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
22 Going after her instantly, as an ox, to the slaughter, he entereth, and, as in fetters, unto the correction of a fool.
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,
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 splits his liver, As a bird has hurried to a snare, And has not known that it [is] for its life.
24 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
And now, you sons, listen to me, And give attention to sayings 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 to her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
26 For, many, wounded, hath she caused to fall, —yea strong men, slain wholly by her:
For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
