Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home at the full moon.'
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of his life.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
