Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within yourself.
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 Keep my commands and live and keep my instruction as the apple of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 Tie them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;
5 in order to keep yourself from the adulterous woman, from the immoral woman with her smooth words.
That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 At the window of my house I was looking out through the lattice.
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 I looked at the naive people, and I noticed among the young men a youth who had no sense.
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 That young man passed down the street near her corner, and he went toward her house.
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 It was twilight, in the evening of the day, at the time of night and darkness.
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 There a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute, with a false heart.
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 She was loud and wayward; her feet did not stay at home.
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now in the streets, then in the market place, and at every corner she waited in ambush.
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 So she grabbed him and kissed him, with a strong face she said to him,
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 “I made my peace offering today, I paid my vows,
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 so came I out to meet you, to eagerly seek your face, and I have found you.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee!
16 I have spread coverings on my bed, colored linens from 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 drink our fill of love until morning; let us take great pleasure in acts of love.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For my husband is not at his house; he has gone on a long journey.
For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;
20 He took a bag of money with him; he will return on the day of the full moon.”
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 With much talk she turned him; with her smooth lips she misled him.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 He went after her suddenly like an ox going to slaughter, like a deer caught in a trap,
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 pierces through its liver. He was like a bird rushing into a snare. He did not know that it would cost his life.
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, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
25 May your heart not turn aside onto her paths; do not be led astray onto her paths.
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 She has caused many people to fall down pierced; her dead victims are very many.
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
