Proverbiorum 7
1 fili mi custodi sermones meos et praecepta mea reconde tibi
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 serva mandata mea et vives et legem meam quasi pupillam oculi tui
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 liga eam in digitis tuis scribe illam in tabulis cordis tui
Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!
4 dic sapientiae soror mea es et prudentiam voca amicam tuam
Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;
5 ut custodiat te a muliere extranea et ab aliena quae verba sua dulcia facit
That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 de fenestra enim domus meae per cancellos prospexi
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 et video parvulos considero vecordem iuvenem
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 qui transit in platea iuxta angulum et propter viam domus illius graditur
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 in obscuro advesperascente die in noctis tenebris et caligine
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 et ecce mulier occurrit illi ornatu meretricio praeparata ad capiendas animas garrula et vaga
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 quietis inpatiens nec valens in domo consistere pedibus suis
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 nunc foris nunc in plateis nunc iuxta angulos insidians
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 adprehensumque deosculatur iuvenem et procaci vultu blanditur dicens
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 victimas pro salute debui hodie reddidi vota mea
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 idcirco egressa sum in occursum tuum desiderans te videre et repperi
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee!
16 intexui funibus lectum meum stravi tapetibus pictis ex Aegypto
I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 aspersi cubile meum murra et aloe et cinnamomo
I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 veni inebriemur uberibus donec inlucescat dies et fruamur cupitis amplexibus
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 non est enim vir in domo sua abiit via longissima
For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;
20 sacculum pecuniae secum tulit in die plenae lunae reversurus est domum suam
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 inretivit eum multis sermonibus et blanditiis labiorum protraxit illum
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 statim eam sequitur quasi bos ductus ad victimam et quasi agnus lasciviens et ignorans quod ad vincula stultus trahatur
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,
23 donec transfigat sagitta iecur eius velut si avis festinet ad laqueum et nescit quia de periculo animae illius agitur
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 nunc ergo fili audi me et adtende verba oris mei
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
25 ne abstrahatur in viis illius mens tua neque decipiaris semitis eius
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 multos enim vulneratos deiecit et fortissimi quique interfecti sunt ab ea
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
