Proverbs 7

1My son! keep my sayings, And my commands lay up with thee.

1My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.

2Keep my commands, and live, And my law as the pupil of thine eye.

2Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;

3Bind them on thy fingers, Write them on the tablet of thy heart.

3Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.

4Say to wisdom, `My sister Thou <FI>art<Fi> .' And cry to understanding, `Kinswoman!'

4Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:

5To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

5So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

6For, at a window of my house, Through my casement I have looked out,

6Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,

7And I do see among the simple ones, I discern among the sons, A young man lacking understanding,

7I saw among the young men one without sense,

8Passing on in the street, near her corner, And the way <FI>to<Fi> her house he doth step,

8Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,

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

9At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.

10And, lo, a woman to meet him--(A harlot's dress, and watchful of heart,

10And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;

11Noisy she <FI>is<Fi> , and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

11She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.

12Now in an out-place, now in broad places, And near every corner she lieth in wait) --

12Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.

13And she laid hold on him, and kissed him, She hath hardened her face, and saith to him,

13So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:

14`Sacrifices of peace-offerings <FI>are<Fi> by me, To-day I have completed my vows.

14I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.

15Therefore I have come forth to meet thee, To seek earnestly thy face, and I find thee.

15So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.

16<FI> With<Fi> ornamental coverings I decked my couch, Carved works--cotton of Egypt.

16My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;

17I sprinkled my bed--myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

17I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.

18Come, we are filled <FI>with<Fi> loves till the morning, We delight ourselves in loves.

18Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.

19For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

19For the master of the house is away on a long journey:

20A bag of money he hath taken in his hand, At the day of the new moon he cometh to his house.'

20He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.

21She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.

21With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.

22He is going after her straightway, As an ox unto the slaughter he cometh, And as a fetter unto the chastisement of a fool,

22The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;

23Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it <FI>is<Fi> for its life.

23Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.

24And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And give attention to sayings of my mouth.

24So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;

25Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

25Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.

26For many <FI>are<Fi> the wounded she caused to fall, And mighty <FI>are<Fi> all her slain ones.

26For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.

27The ways of Sheol--her house, Going down unto inner chambers of death!

27Her house is the way to the underworld, going down to the rooms of death.