< Proverbs 7 >

1 My son, heed my advice, and guard my instructions [as you would] [MET] [guard] a treasure.
בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֹתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃
2 Obey my commands, and [as a result you will] live [a good life]. Consider the things that I teach you [to be very precious]; guard them, [just] like you protect your eyes.
שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תֹורָתִ֗י כְּאִישֹׁ֥ון עֵינֶֽיךָ׃
3 Tie my commands around your fingers [in order that they will remind you to obey them]. Always keep them in mind [MET].
קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃
4 [Love] wisdom [like you love] your sister. Understand what is wise, [and let that be as dear to you as] members of your family.
אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא׃
5 If you are wise and if you understand what is wise [PRS], you will not [sleep with] an immoral woman; you will not listen to a woman who tries to entice you [to sleep with her] by what she says.
לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃
6 One day, I was standing at the window inside my house, and I looked outside.
כִּ֭י בְּחַלֹּ֣ון בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃
7 I saw some young men who did not have good sense. Among them was a man who was very foolish.
וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃
8 He crossed the street near [the house of] an immoral woman. He was walking along the path toward her house
עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד׃
9 at twilight, when it was getting dark [DOU].
בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־בְּעֶ֥רֶב יֹ֑ום בְּאִישֹׁ֥ון לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃
10 Suddenly the woman came out to see/meet him. She was dressed (seductively/like a prostitute), wanting to persuade him to sleep with her.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאתֹ֑ו שִׁ֥ית זֹ֝ונָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב׃
11 She was a loud talker, one who was rebellious; she [SYN] never stayed at home.
הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא־יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃
12 She often went into the city streets and plazas/markets, waiting to trap some man.
פַּ֤עַם ׀ בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹבֹ֑ות וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל־פִּנָּ֣ה תֶאֱרֹֽב׃
13 [When she saw that young man], she put her arms around him and kissed him. Then without being a bit ashamed, she said,
וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בֹּ֖ו וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־לֹּ֑ו הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֹֽו׃
14 “I have [some meat that is left over from] a sacrifice that I made today [to maintain fellowship with Yahweh]; I have fulfilled/done what I promised him that I would do.
זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יֹּ֗ום שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי׃
15 And now I have come out to meet/see you. I was searching for you, and [now] I have found you!
עַל־כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃
16 I have put on my bed sheets/bedspreads that were made from [very fine] linen [that were imported] {[people brought]} from Egypt.
מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻבֹ֗ות אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם׃
17 I have sprinkled [sweet-smelling] perfumes on my bed— myrrh and aloes and cinnamon.
נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֹֽון׃
18 Come [with me]; let us enjoy having sex until [tomorrow] morning. Let’s enjoy making love.
לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃
19 My husband is not at home; he has gone away on a long journey.
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵיתֹ֑ו הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֹֽוק׃
20 He is carrying a wallet filled with money, and he will not return until the middle of this month.”
צְֽרֹור־הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָדֹ֑ו לְיֹ֥ום הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֹֽו׃
21 [So] she persuaded him by [her] enticing/tempting words. She allured him by her smooth/sweet talk.
הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃
22 [And] he went with her immediately, like an ox that was going to where it would be slaughtered, or like a deer (OR, a fool) that is stepping into a noose/trap,
הֹ֤ולֵ֥ךְ אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם כְּ֭שֹׁור אֶל־טָ֣בַח יָבֹ֑וא וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס אֶל־מוּסַ֥ר אֱוֽ͏ִיל׃
23 where it will remain/stay until someone shoots an arrow into its liver [and kills it]. [He was] like a bird that flew into a trap. He did not know that (it would cost him his life/he would die as a result).
עַ֤ד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵדֹ֗ו כְּמַהֵ֣ר צִפֹּ֣ור אֶל־פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־יָ֝דַ֗ע כִּֽי־בְנַפְשֹׁ֥ו הֽוּא׃ פ
24 My son, listen to what I say; pay [careful] attention to my words.
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃
25 Do not allow anything to arouse/persuade you to go with an immoral woman like that. Do not go where she goes.
אַל־יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל־דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבֹותֶֽיהָ׃
26 She has caused many men to be ruined; truly, no one can count the men she has killed.
כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃
27 The road to her house is the road to the grave. Those who enter her bedroom [PRS] will die as a result. (Sheol h7585)
דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁאֹ֣ול בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְדֹ֗ות אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָֽוֶת׃ פ (Sheol h7585)

< Proverbs 7 >