7:1 [My] son, keep my words, and hide with
thee my commandments. [My] son, honour the Lord, and thou shalt be strong;
and fear none but him:
7:2 keep my commandments, and thou shalt live; and [keep] my words as the
pupils of [thine] eyes.
7:3 And bind them on thy fingers, and write [them] on the table of thine
heart.
7:4 Say that wisdom is thy sister, and gain prudence as an acquaintance for
thyself;
7:5 that she may keep thee from the strange and wicked woman, if she should
assail thee with flattering words.
7:6 For she looks from a window out of her house into the streets, at one
whom she may see of the senseless ones, a young man void of understanding,
7:7 passing by the corner in the passages near her house,
7:8 and speaking, in the dark of the evening,
7:9 when there happens [to be] the stillness of night and of darkness:
7:10 and the woman meets him having the appearance of a harlot, that causes
the hearts of young men to flutter.
7:11 And she is fickle, and debauched, and her feet abide not at home.
7:12 For at one time she wanders without, and at [another] time she lies in
wait in the streets, at every corner.
7:13 Then she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to
him,
7:14 I have a peace-offering; today I pay my vows:
7:15 therefore I came forth to meet thee, desiring thy face; [and] I have
found thee.
7:16 I have spread my bed with sheets, and I have covered it with double
tapestry from Egypt.
7:17 I have sprinkled my couch with saffron, and my house with cinnamon.
7:18 Come, and let us enjoy love until the morning; come, and let us embrace
in love.
7:19 For my husband is not at home, but is gone on a long journey,
7:20 having taken in his hand a bundle of money: after many days he will
return to his house.
7:21 So with much converse she prevailed on him to go astray, and with the
snares of her lips forced him from [the right path].
7:22 And he followed her, being gently led on, and [that] as an ox is led to
the slaughter, and as a dog to bonds, or as a hart shot in the liver with an
arrow:
7:23 and he hastens as a bird into a snare, not knowing that he is running
for [his] life.
7:24 Now then, [my] son, hearken to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
7:25 Let not thine heart turn aside to her ways:
7:26 for she has wounded and cast down many, and those whom she has slain
are innumerable.
7:27 Her house is the way of hell, leading down to the chambers of death. |
7:1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my
commandments with thee.
7:2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
7:3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
7:4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy
kinswoman:
7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which
flattereth with her words.
7:6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7:7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young
man void of understanding,
7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her
house,
7:9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and
subtil of heart.
7:11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
7:12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every
corner.)
7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto
him,
7:14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I
have found thee.
7:16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works,
with fine linen of Egypt.
7:17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace
ourselves with loves.
7:19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day
appointed.
7:21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering
of her lips she forced him.
7:22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as
a fool to the correction of the stocks;
7:23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare,
and knoweth not that it is for his life.
7:24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words
of my mouth.
7:25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
7:26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been
slain by her.
7:27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. |