Proverbs 7
GOD’S WORD Translation
7 My son,
pay attention to my words.
Treasure my commands that are within you.
2 Obey my commands so that you may live.
Follow my teachings just as you protect the pupil of your eye.
3 Tie them on your fingers.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister.”
Give the name “my relative” to understanding
5 in order to guard yourself from an adulterous woman,
from a loose woman with her smooth talk.
6 From a window in my house I looked through my screen.
7 I was looking at gullible people
when I saw a young man without much sense among youths
8 He was crossing a street near her corner
and walking toward her house
9 in the twilight,
in the evening,
in the dark hours of the night.
10 A woman with an ulterior motive meets him.
She is dressed as a prostitute.
11 She is loud and rebellious.
Her feet will not stay at home.
12 One moment she is out on the street,
the next she is at the curb,
on the prowl at every corner.
13 She grabs him and kisses him and brazenly says to him,
14 “I have some sacrificial meat.
Today I kept my vows.
15 That’s why I came to meet you.
Eagerly, I looked for you,
and I’ve found you.
16 I’ve made my bed,
with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
17 I’ve sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
Let’s enjoy making love,
19 because my husband’s not home.
He has gone on a long trip.
20 He took lots of money with him.
He won’t be home for a couple of weeks.”
21 With all her seductive charms, she persuades him.
With her smooth lips, she makes him give in.
22 He immediately follows her
like a steer on its way to be slaughtered,
like a ram hobbling into captivity
23 until an arrow pierces his heart,
like a bird darting into a trap.
He does not realize that it will cost him his life.
24 Now, sons,
listen to me.
Pay attention to the words from my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart be turned to her ways.
Do not wander onto her paths,
26 because she has brought down many victims,
and she has killed all too many.
27 Her home is the way to hell
and leads to the darkest vaults of death.
Proverbs 7
New International Version
Warning Against the Adulterous Woman
7 My son,(A) keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and you will live;(B)
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and to insight, “You are my relative.”
5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(D)
6 At the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.
7 I saw among the simple,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who had no sense.(E)
8 He was going down the street near her corner,
walking along in the direction of her house
9 at twilight,(F) as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(G) and defiant,
her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
at every corner she lurks.)(H)
13 She took hold of him(I) and kissed him
and with a brazen face she said:(J)
14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
and I have food from my fellowship offering(K) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(L)
with myrrh,(M) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(N)
19 My husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
and will not be home till full moon.”
21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
she seduced him with her smooth talk.(O)
22 All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b](P)
23 till an arrow pierces(Q) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
little knowing it will cost him his life.(R)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
- Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
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