Proverbs 7

₁My son, keep my words

and treasure up my commandments with you;

₂keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

₃bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

₄Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

and call insight your intimate friend,

₅to keep you from the forbidden woman,

from the adulteress with her smooth words.

₆For at the window of my house

I have looked out through my lattice,

₇and I have seen among the simple,

I have perceived among the youths,

a young man lacking sense,

₈passing along the street near her corner,

taking the road to her house

₉in the twilight, in the evening,

at the time of night and darkness.

₁₀And behold, the woman meets him,

dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.

₁₁She is loud and wayward;

her feet do not stay at home;

₁₂now in the street, now in the market,

and at every corner she lies in wait.

₁₃She seizes him and kisses him,

and with bold face she says to him,

₁₄“I had to offer sacrifices,

and today I have paid my vows;

₁₅so now I have come out to meet you,

to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

₁₆I have spread my couch with coverings,

colored linens from Egyptian linen;

₁₇I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,

aloes, and cinnamon.

₁₈Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

let us delight ourselves with love.

₁₉For my husband is not at home;

he has gone on a long journey;

₂₀he took a bag of money with him;

at full moon he will come home.”

₂₁With much seductive speech she persuades him;

with her smooth talk she compels him.

₂₂All at once he follows her,

as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast

₂₃till an arrow pierces its liver;

as a bird rushes into a snare;

he does not know that it will cost him his life.

₂₄And now, O sons, listen to me,

and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

₂₅Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths,

₂₆for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are a mighty throng.

₂₇Her house is the way to Sheol,

going down to the chambers of death.