Proverbs

7 My son, keep my sayings, And my commandments treasure by thee;

2 Keep my commandments and live, And mine instruction as the pupil of thine eye;

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

4 Say unto wisdom, My sister thou! And an acquaintance call thou understanding:

5 That thou mayest be kept from the woman that is a stranger, From the female unknown who with her speeches doth flatter.

6 For in the window of my house, Through my lattice I looked out;

7 And saw among the simple ones, Discerned among the youths, A young man lacking sense;

8 Passing through the street near her corner, And on the way to her house he sauntered along;

9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the midst of the night and the gloom;

10 And lo! a woman came to meet him, Attired as one unchaste, of a wily heart.

11 Boisterous is she and rebellious, In her house abide not her feet;

12 Now outside, now in the broadways, And near every corner she lieth in wait:

13 So she caught him and kissed him, And embolding her face she said to him:

14 Peace-offerings are by me, To-day have I paid my vows;

15 For this cause came I forth to meet thee, To seek diligently thy face and I have found thee:

16 Coverlets have I spread on my couch of pleasure, Dark-hued stuffs of the yarn of Egypt;

17 I have sprinkled my bed, With myrrh, aloes and cinnamon:

18 Come! let us take our fill of endearments until morning, Let us delight ourselves with caresses;

19 For the husband is not in his house, He hath gone on a journey afar;

20 A bag of silver hath he taken in his hand, On the day of the full moon will he enter his house.

21 She turneth him aside with her great persuasiveness,—With the flattery of her lips she compelleth him:

22 Going after her instantly As an ox to the slaughter he entereth, And as in fetters unto the correction of a fool.

23 Until an arrow cleaveth his liver, As a bird hasteth into a snare, And knoweth not that for his life it is!

24 Now therefore ye sons hearken unto me, And attend to the sayings of my mouth;

25 Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways, Do not go astray in her paths.

26 For many wounded hath she caused to fall,—Yea strong men slain wholly by her:

27 Ways to hades are in her house, Descending into the chambers of death.