Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!
2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!
3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!
4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
Say unto wisdom, “Thou art my sister!” And call understanding thy near acquaintance;
5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.
6 For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,
7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.
8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,
9 In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.
10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot’s attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart, —
11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;
12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.
13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,
14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
“Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;
15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
Therefore came I forth to meet thee, —Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee!
16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;
20 He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return.”
21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.
22 Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,
He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,
23 Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
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 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!
25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!
26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.
