Proverbs 7
1MY son, keep my words and lay up my commandments with thee.
2My son, honour the Lord and thou shall be strong; but besides Him, fear no other. Keep my commandments, that thou mayst live; and my words as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them about thy fingers, and write them on the table of thy heart. Implore
4Wisdom to be thy sister, and make Understanding thine acquaintance:
5that she may keep thee from a strange and wicked woman, in case she, with alluring words, should attack thee.
6For through a lattice she looketh out of her house into the streets;
7and if among the simple youths she chanceth to see a young man, void of understanding,
8walking near a corner in the passages to her house,
9and talking in the twilight, when the evening is still and dusky:—
10then this woman, who maketh the hearts of young men flutter, meeteth him, in the attire of a harlot.
11Indeed she is ever on the wing and insatiable, and her feet abide not at home.
12For sometimes she roveth abroad and sometimes lieth in wait in the streets, at every corner.
13Ha! she hath caught him and kissed him, and with an unblushing countenance, said to him:
14I have a peace offering; to-day I am paying my vows:
15for this reason I came out to meet thee, earnestly longing to see thee. I have found thee.
16With cords I have stretched my bed, and decked it with tapestry from Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with saffron, and my house with cinnamon:
18come, and let us take our fill of love till the morning:—come and let us solace ourselves with love.
19For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
20he took in his hand a roll of silver, and will return to his house after many days.
21So with much fawning discourse she led him astray, and with the flattery of her lips inveigled him.
22And he is gone after her, attracted by her, as an ox is led to slaughter, or as a dog to be chained; or like a deer pierced through the liver with a dart.
23And he hasteth like a bird to a snare, not knowing that he is running the risk of his life.
24Now, therefore, my son hearken to me; and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways:
26for she hath wounded and brought down many; and innumerable are they whom she hath slain.
27Her house is the highway to Hades, leading down to the chambers of death.