Proverbs 7
1 My son, keep my words and store up my commands within yourself.
My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
2 Keep my commands and live and keep my instruction as the apple of your eye.
Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
3 Tie them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
5 in order to keep yourself from the adulterous woman, from the immoral woman with her smooth words.
So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
6 At the window of my house I was looking out through the lattice.
Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
7 I looked at the naive people, and I noticed among the young men a youth who had no sense.
I saw among the young men one without sense,
8 That young man passed down the street near her corner, and he went toward her house.
Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
9 It was twilight, in the evening of the day, at the time of night and darkness.
At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
10 There a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute, with a false heart.
And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
11 She was loud and wayward; her feet did not stay at home.
She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
12 Now in the streets, then in the market place, and at every corner she waited in ambush.
Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
13 So she grabbed him and kissed him, with a strong face she said to him,
So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
14 “I made my peace offering today, I paid my vows,
I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
15 so came I out to meet you, to eagerly seek your face, and I have found you.
So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
16 I have spread coverings on my bed, colored linens from Egypt.
My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
18 Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; let us take great pleasure in acts of love.
Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
19 For my husband is not at his house; he has gone on a long journey.
For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
20 He took a bag of money with him; he will return on the day of the full moon.”
He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
21 With much talk she turned him; with her smooth lips she misled him.
With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
22 He went after her suddenly like an ox going to slaughter, like a deer caught in a trap,
The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
23 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.
Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
24 Now, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to the words of my mouth.
So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
25 May your heart not turn aside onto her paths; do not be led astray onto her paths.
Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
26 She has caused many people to fall down pierced; her dead victims are very many.
For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
