Proverbs 7
1 My son, heed my advice, and guard my instructions [as you would] [MET] [guard] a treasure.
My son, keep my words and store up my commands within yourself.
2 Obey my commands, and [as a result you will] live [a good life]. Consider the things that I teach you [to be very precious]; guard them, [just] like you protect your eyes.
Keep my commands and live and keep my instruction as the apple of your eye.
3 Tie my commands around your fingers [in order that they will remind you to obey them]. Always keep them in mind [MET].
Tie them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 [Love] wisdom [like you love] your sister. Understand what is wise, [and let that be as dear to you as] members of your family.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
5 If you are wise and if you understand what is wise [PRS], you will not [sleep with] an immoral woman; you will not listen to a woman who tries to entice you [to sleep with her] by what she says.
in order to keep yourself from the adulterous woman, from the immoral woman with her smooth words.
6 One day, I was standing at the window inside my house, and I looked outside.
At the window of my house I was looking out through the lattice.
7 I saw some young men who did not have good sense. Among them was a man who was very foolish.
I looked at the naive people, and I noticed among the young men a youth who had no sense.
8 He crossed the street near [the house of] an immoral woman. He was walking along the path toward her house
That young man passed down the street near her corner, and he went toward her house.
9 at twilight, when it was getting dark [DOU].
It was twilight, in the evening of the day, at the time of night and darkness.
10 Suddenly the woman came out to see/meet him. She was dressed (seductively/like a prostitute), wanting to persuade him to sleep with her.
There a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute, with a false heart.
11 She was a loud talker, one who was rebellious; she [SYN] never stayed at home.
She was loud and wayward; her feet did not stay at home.
12 She often went into the city streets and plazas/markets, waiting to trap some man.
Now in the streets, then in the market place, and at every corner she waited in ambush.
13 [When she saw that young man], she put her arms around him and kissed him. Then without being a bit ashamed, she said,
So she grabbed him and kissed him, with a strong face she said to him,
14 “I have [some meat that is left over from] a sacrifice that I made today [to maintain fellowship with Yahweh]; I have fulfilled/done what I promised him that I would do.
“I made my peace offering today, I paid my vows,
15 And now I have come out to meet/see you. I was searching for you, and [now] I have found you!
so came I out to meet you, to eagerly seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have put on my bed sheets/bedspreads that were made from [very fine] linen [that were imported] {[people brought]} from Egypt.
I have spread coverings on my bed, colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled [sweet-smelling] perfumes on my bed— myrrh and aloes and cinnamon.
I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come [with me]; let us enjoy having sex until [tomorrow] morning. Let’s enjoy making love.
Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; let us take great pleasure in acts of love.
19 My husband is not at home; he has gone away on a long journey.
For my husband is not at his house; he has gone on a long journey.
20 He is carrying a wallet filled with money, and he will not return until the middle of this month.”
He took a bag of money with him; he will return on the day of the full moon.”
21 [So] she persuaded him by [her] enticing/tempting words. She allured him by her smooth/sweet talk.
With much talk she turned him; with her smooth lips she misled him.
22 [And] he went with her immediately, like an ox that was going to where it would be slaughtered, or like a deer (OR, a fool) that is stepping into a noose/trap,
He went after her suddenly like an ox going to slaughter, like a deer caught in a trap,
23 where it will remain/stay until someone shoots an arrow into its liver [and kills it]. [He was] like a bird that flew into a trap. He did not know that (it would cost him his life/he would die as a result).
until an arrow pierces through its liver. He was like a bird rushing into a snare. He did not know that it would cost his life.
24 My son, listen to what I say; pay [careful] attention to my words.
Now, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not allow anything to arouse/persuade you to go with an immoral woman like that. Do not go where she goes.
May your heart not turn aside onto her paths; do not be led astray onto her paths.
26 She has caused many men to be ruined; truly, no one can count the men she has killed.
She has caused many people to fall down pierced; her dead victims are very many.
