Proverbs, 7

1. My child, keep my words, and treasure my precepts,

1. My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

2. keep my precepts and you will live, keep my teaching as the apple of your eye.

2. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

3. Bind these to your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.

3. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

4. Say to Wisdom, 'You are my sister!' Call Understanding your relation,

4. Say unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:

5. to save yourself from the woman that belongs to another, from the stranger, with her seductive words.

5. That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.

6. While I was at the window of my house, I was looking out through the lattice

6. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

7. and I saw, among the callow youths, I noticed among the lads, one boy who had no sense.

7. And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8. Going along the lane, near the corner where she lives, he reaches the path to her house,

8. Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

9. at twilight when day is declining, at dead of night and in the dark.

9. In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

10. And look, a woman is coming to meet him, dressed like a prostitute, false of heart.

10. And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

11. She is loud and brazen; her feet cannot rest at home.

11. (She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

12. Once in the street, once in the square, she lurks at every corner.

12. Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13. She catches hold of him, she kisses him, the bold-faced creature says to him,

13. So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said unto him,

14. 'I had to offer a communion sacrifice, I have discharged my vows today;

14. [I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

15. that is why I came out to meet you, to look for you, and now I have found you.

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

16. I have spread coverlets over my divan, embroidered stuff, Egyptian material,

16. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.

17. I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, with aloes and cinnamon.

17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18. Come on, we'll make love as much as we like, till morning. Let us enjoy the delights of love!

18. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

19. For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a very long journey,

19. For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:

20. taking his moneybags with him; he will not be back till the moon is full.'

20. He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.

21. With her persistent coaxing she overcomes him, lures him on with her wheedling patter.

21. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22. Forthwith he follows her, like an ox on its way to the slaughterhouse, like a madman on his way to the stocks,

22. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23. until an arrow pierces him to the liver, like the bird that dashes into the net without realising that its life is at stake.

23. Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.

24. And now, son, listen to me, pay attention to the words I have to say:

24. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25. do not let your heart stray into her ways, or wander into her paths;

25. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26. she has done so many to death, and the strongest have all been her victims.

26. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.

27. Her house is the way to Sheol, the descent to the courts of death.

27. Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.