Proverbs 7
1 My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.
My son, accept what I say and value my instructions.
2 Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil 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 on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.
Tie them to your fingers; write them in your mind.
4 Say to wisdom, 'My sister Thou [art].' And cry to understanding, 'Kinswoman!'
Tell wisdom, “You're my sister,” and call insight your best friend.
5 To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.
They will protect you from the immoral woman, from the prostitute with her seductive words.
6 For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,
One time I looked through the lattice of the window in my house,
7 And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,
and I saw among the immature young men one who had no sense at all.
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way [to] her house he doth step,
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 day, In the darkness of night and blackness.
It was at dusk in the evening, as the light was fading and the dark night closed in.
10 And, lo, a woman to meet him — (A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,
Then out came a woman came to meet him. She was dressed as a prostitute and had deceptive intentions.
11 Noisy she [is], and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.
(She was loud and provocative, never wanting to stay at home.
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) —
One moment she'd be walking the streets, the next she'd be there in the town squares, loitering at every corner.)
13 And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,
She grabbed hold of him and kissed him, and with a bold face she told him,
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, To-day I have completed my vows.
“I sacrificed my peace offering today, and paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.
That's why I came out to meet you. I was looking for you and now I've found you!
16 [With] ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works — cotton of Egypt.
My bed is made, covered with colorful linens from Egypt.
17 I sprinkled my bed — myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I've sprinkled perfume on my bed—myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, we are filled [with] loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in 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 in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.
My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long trip.
20 A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'
He took a bag of money with him, and he won't be coming back until the full moon.”
21 She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.
She convinced him with all that she said; she seduced him with her smooth talking.
22 He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a 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 doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it [is] for its life.
until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird flying into a trap, he's unaware he will pay with his life.
24 And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
So now listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to what I'm saying.
25 Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,
Don't even think about following her. Don't stray down her road.
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
For she has brought down and destroyed a lot of men; she's killed so many.
