Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my sayings, and, my commandments, treasure by thee;
My son, keep my words, And treasure 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! Yea, my teaching, 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 tablet 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 near acquaintance;
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 wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 For, in the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked out;
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 And saw among the simple ones, discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;
And I saw 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;
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the midst of the night, and the gloom;
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 And lo! a woman, came to meet him, attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 Boisterous, is she, and rebellious, In her house, abide not her feet;
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now outside, now in the broadways, and, near every corner, she lieth in wait:
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and, embolding her face, she said to him:
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 Peace-offerings, are by me, to-day, have I paid my vows;
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed 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 spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed, with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon:
I have 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, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For the husband is not in his house, he hath gone on a journey afar;
For the good-man 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 purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 She turneth him aside, with her great persuasiveness, —with the flattery of her lips, she compelleth him:
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
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 one in fetters to the chastisement of 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 strike through his liver; —As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.
24 Now, therefore, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend, to the sayings of my mouth;
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken 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.
Let not thy heart turn aside 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 many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
