Proverbs 7
7
1My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.#Pr 2:1
2Keep my commands and live,#Pr 3:1–2; 4:4; 6:23; 19:16
and guard my instructions
as you would the pupil of your eye.#Dt 32:10; Ps 17:8; Zch 2:8
3Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.#Dt 11:18; Pr 3:3; 6:21
4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”#Sg 4:9
and call understanding your relative.
5She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a wayward woman with her flattering talk.#Pr 5:3,20; 6:24; 7:21
A Story of Seduction
6At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.#Jdg 5:28; Sg 2:9
7I saw among the inexperienced,#7:7 Or simple, or gullible, or naive
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.
8Crossing the street near her corner,
he strolled down the road to her house
9at twilight, in the evening,
in the dark of the night.#Jb 24:15
10A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,#Gn 38:14–15
having a hidden agenda.#7:10 Or prostitute with a guarded heart
11She is loud and defiant;#Pr 9:13
her feet do not stay at home.#1Tm 5:13
12Now in the street, now in the squares,#Pr 5:16; 9:14
she lurks at every corner.#Pr 23:28
13She grabs him and kisses him;
she brazenly says#7:13 Lit she makes her face strong and says to him,
14“I’ve made fellowship offerings;
today I’ve fulfilled my vows.#Lv 7:11–18; Dt 23:18; Ps 56:12
15So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I’ve found you.
16I’ve spread coverings on my bed#Pr 31:22 —
richly colored linen from Egypt.#Ezk 27:7
17I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.#Ex 30:23; Ps 45:8
18Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.#Sg 5:1
Let’s feast on each other’s love!
19My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.
20He took a bag of silver with him
and will come home at the time of the full moon.”
21She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering talk.
22He follows her impulsively
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer bounding toward a trap#7:22 Text emended; MT reads like a shackle to the discipline of a fool; Hb obscure
23until an arrow pierces its#7:23 Or his liver,#Pr 2:16–19; 5:3–6; 23:27–28
like a bird darting into a snare#Ec 9:12 —
he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.
24Now, sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words from my mouth.
25Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;
don’t stray onto her paths.#Pr 5:8
26For she has brought many down to death;
her victims are countless.#7:26 Or and powerful men are all her victims
27Her house is the road to Sheol,
descending to the chambers of death.#Pr 2:18; 5:5; 9:18; 1Co 6:9; Rv 22:15
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Proverbs 7: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Proverbs 7
7
1My son, keep my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments, and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers,
Write them upon the table of thine heart.
4Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister;
And call understanding thy kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman,
From the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house
I looked through my casement,
7And beheld among the simple ones,
I discerned among the youths,
A young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner;
And he went the way to her house,
9In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night:
10And, behold, there met him a woman
With the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11(She is loud and stubborn;
Her feet abide not in her house:
12Now is she without, now in the streets,
And lieth in wait at every corner.)
13So she caught him, and kissed him,
And with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me;
This day have I payed my vows.
15Therefore came I forth to meet thee,
Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry,
With carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning:
Let us solace ourselves with loves.
19For the goodman is not at home,
He is gone a long journey:
20He hath taken a bag of money with him,
And will come home at the day appointed.
21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield,
With the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22He goeth after her straightway,
As an ox goeth to the slaughter,
Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23Till a dart strike through his liver;
As a bird hasteth to the snare,
And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children,
And attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thine heart decline to her ways,
Go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded:
Yea, many strong men have been slain by her.
27Her house is the way to hell,
Going down to the chambers of death.
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