Proverbs 7

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

1My son, remember my words and store up my commands deep within you.

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

2Obey my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as carefully as you guard your own eyes.

3Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

3Tie them around your fingers as a reminder; write them on the tablet of your heart.

4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understandingthy kinswoman:

4Treat wisdom like your sister and call understanding your closest relative.

5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

5They will protect you from the immoral woman—from the seductive words of the woman who wanders.

6For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

6Once, while looking out the window of my house through the screen,

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

7I saw some naive young men, and I noticed one in particular who lacked any common sense.

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

8He was walking down the street near her corner, taking the path that led to her house.

9In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

9It was at twilight, as the day was fading, just as the night and the darkness were setting in.

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

10Suddenly, a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute and with a sneaky heart.

11(She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

11She is loud and rebellious; she never stays at home.

12Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.)

12She hangs around the streets and the town squares, waiting at every corner for a victim.

13So she caught him, and kissed him, Andwith an impudent face she said unto him:

13She grabbed him and kissed him, and with a bold face she said to him:

14Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

14"I have just finished making my peace offerings; today I fulfilled my religious vows.

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

15So I came out to find you! I was looking for you specifically, and here you are!

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

16I have spread beautiful blankets on my bed, colored linens imported from Egypt.

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

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

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

18Come, let's drink our fill of love until morning; let's enjoy ourselves with pleasure.

19For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

19For my husband isn't at home; he has gone on a very long journey.

20He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

20He took a wallet full of money with him and won't be back until the full moon."

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

21With her constant coaxing, she convinced him; she seduced him with her smooth talk.

22He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or asone infetters to the correction of the fool;

22He followed her at once, like an ox going to be slaughtered, or like a trapped deer stepping into a noose,

23Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

23until an arrow pierced his liver. He was like a bird rushing into a net, never realizing it would cost him his life.

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

24So now, my sons, listen to me; pay close attention to my words.

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

25Don't let your heart wander toward her way of life; don't go down her path.

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

26For she has brought down many victims; she has left a vast army of dead men in her wake.

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

27Her house is a highway to the grave, leading straight down to the chambers of death.