Proverbs 7
1My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you.
2Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye.
3Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart.
4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend.
5So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words.
6For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice,
7and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth,
8who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house.
9He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night.
10And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling,
11unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home,
12now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners.
13And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying:
14“I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows.
15Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you.
16I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt.
17I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn.
19For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey.
20He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.”
21She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips.
22Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains,
23until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul.
24Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths.
26For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her.
27Her household is the way to Hell, reaching even to the inner places of death.
1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.