Proverbs 7
1 Mi sone, kepe thou my wordis; and kepe myn heestis to thee. Sone, onoure thou the Lord, and thou schalt be `myyti; but outakun hym drede thou not an alien.
我兒，你要持守我的訓言，把我的誡命藏在心中；
2 Kepe thou myn heestis, and thou schalt lyue; and my lawe as the appil of thin iyen.
你要遵守我的誡命，好叫你得以生存；應恪守我的教訓，像保護你眼中的瞳人。
3 Bynde thou it in thi fyngris; write thou it in the tablis of thin herte.
應將我的誡命繫在指間，刻在心上；
4 Seie thou to wisdom, Thou art my sistir; and clepe thou prudence thi frendesse.
應對智慧說：「你是我的姊妹，」並應稱睿智為你的女友，
5 That it kepe thee fro a straunge womman; and fro an alien womman, that makith hir wordis swete.
好能保護你遠避奸婦，即那甜言蜜語的淫婦。
6 For whi fro the wyndow of myn hous bi the latijs Y bihelde; and Y se litle children.
我曾由我家的窗口，透過窗格往外觀看，
7 I biholde a yong man coward,
分明看見在愚昧人中，在少年人中，有一個無知的少年，
8 that passith bi the stretis, bisidis the corner; and he
沿著淫婦屋角的街道經過，向她的住宅走去，
9 goith niy the weie of hir hous in derk tyme, whanne the dai drawith to niyt, in the derknessis and myst of the nyyt.
那時正是黃昏，日已西沉，已入黝黑深夜。
10 And lo! a womman, maad redi with ournement of an hoore to disseyue soulis, meetith hym, and sche is a ianglere, and goynge about,
看，有一個女人向他迎面而來──她身穿妓裝，存心不軌；
11 and vnpacient of reste, and mai not stonde in the hous with hir feet;
她健談好蕩，不能停留家中：
12 and now without forth, now in stretis, now bisidis corneris sche `aspieth.
一會在街頭，一會在市場，在每個角落上兜搭──
13 And sche takith, and kissith the yong man; and flaterith with wowynge cheer, and seith, Y ouyte sacrifices for heelthe;
她遂上前擁抱那少年，與他接吻，嬉皮笑臉對他說：「
14 to dai Y haue yolde my vowis.
我原許過願，要獻和平祭，今日纔得償還我許的願。
15 Therfor Y yede out in to thi meetyng, and Y desiride to se thee; and Y haue founde thee.
所以我走了出來，好能與你相遇；我急切尋找你，可好現在我見了你。
16 Y haue maad my bed with coordis, Y haue arayed with tapetis peyntid of Egipt;
我的床榻已舖設了絨毯，放上了埃及的線繡臥單；
17 Y haue bispreynt my bed with myrre, and aloes, and canel.
又用沒藥、蘆薈和肉桂薰了我的睡床。
18 Come thou, be we fillid with tetis, and vse we collyngis that ben coueitid; til the dai bigynne to be cleer.
來讓我們通宵達旦，飽享愛情；讓我們在歡愛中盡情取樂，
19 For myn hosebonde is not in his hows; he is goon a ful long weie.
因為我的丈夫現不在家，他已出外遠行，
20 He took with hym a bagge of money; he schal turne ayen in to his hous in the dai of ful moone.
隨身帶了錢囊，不到月圓不歸家。」
21 Sche boonde hym with many wordis; and sche drow forth hym with flateryngis of lippis.
淫婦用許多花言巧語籠絡他，以諂言媚語勾引他。
22 Anoon he as an oxe led to slayn sacrifice sueth hir, and as a ioli lomb and vnkunnynge; and the fool woot not, that he is drawun to bondys,
少年遂跟她去了，好像一隻引入屠場的公牛，又像一隻自陷圈套的牡鹿，
23 til an arowe perse his mawe. As if a brid hastith to the snare; and woot not, that it is don of the perel of his lijf.
直至箭矢射穿他的心肝；他還像一隻跳入羅網的小鳥，不知這與他的性命有關。
24 Now therfor, my sone, here thou me; and perseyue the wordis of my mouth.
現在，孩子! 你們應聽從我，留意我口中的訓言：
25 Lest thi soule be drawun awei in the weies of hir; nether be thou disseyued in the pathis of hir.
不要讓你的心傾向她的道路，不要誤入她的迷途，
26 For sche castide doun many woundid men; and alle strongeste men weren slayn of hir.
因為她使許多人倒地身亡，連最強健的，都作了她的犧牲。
