Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.
My son, accept what I say and value my instructions.
2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.
Do what I tell you and you will live. Observe my teachings, valuing them as your main focus in life.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Tie them to your fingers; write them in your mind.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
Tell wisdom, “You're my sister,” and call insight your best friend.
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.
They will protect you from the immoral woman, from the prostitute with her seductive words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
One time I looked through the lattice of the window in my house,
7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,
and I saw among the immature young men one who had no sense at all.
8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,
He was walking down the street near the corner where she lived and took the road passing her house.
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.
It was at dusk in the evening, as the light was fading and the dark night closed in.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
Then out came a woman came to meet him. She was dressed as a prostitute and had deceptive intentions.
11 (She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:
(She was loud and provocative, never wanting to stay at home.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)
One moment she'd be walking the streets, the next she'd be there in the town squares, loitering at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:
She grabbed hold of him and kissed him, and with a bold face she told him,
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.
“I sacrificed my peace offering today, and paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
That's why I came out to meet you. I was looking for you and now I've found you!
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
My bed is made, covered with colorful linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I've sprinkled perfume on my bed—myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.
Come with me, let's make love until the morning. Let's enjoy one another in our love-making!
19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:
My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long trip.
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.
He took a bag of money with him, and he won't be coming back until the full moon.”
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
She convinced him with all that she said; she seduced him with her smooth talking.
22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;
He followed her right away, like an ox to the slaughter. Like a stag that's caught in a snare
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.
until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird flying into a trap, he's unaware he will pay with his life.
24 Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.
So now listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to what I'm saying.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.
Don't even think about following her. Don't stray down her road.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
For she has brought down and destroyed a lot of men; she's killed so many.
