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 law 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 tablet of thy heart.
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
Say to wisdom, Thou are 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 interloping woman, from the stranger who flatters with 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 simple 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 middle of the night and in 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 attired like a harlot, and wily of heart.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
She is loud and headstrong. 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 lies 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. With an impudent face she said to him,
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. I have paid my vows this day.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently 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 spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, 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 love.
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
For the man is not at home. He has gone a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
He has taken a 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 causes him to yield. With the flattering of her lips she forces him along.
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
He goes after her straightaway, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
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 strikes through his liver, as a bird hastens to the snare. And he does not know that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
Now therefore, ye sons, hearken to 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 has cast down many wounded. Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
