Proverbs 7

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.

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 tablet of thy heart.

⁴Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding thy kinswoman: ⁵That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

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 forth through my lattice; ⁷And I 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 of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

¹⁰And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

¹¹(She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house: ¹²Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)

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 she said unto him: ¹⁴Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

¹⁵Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

¹⁶I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn 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.

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 man is not at home; He is gone a long journey: ²⁰He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

²¹With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

²²He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool; ²³Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

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.

²⁴Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

²⁶For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

²⁷Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.

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.