Proverbs 7
7
1 MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments [for use when needed] and treasure them.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and keep my law and teaching as the apple (the pupil) of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to skillful and godly Wisdom, You are my sister, and regard understanding or insight as your intimate friend–
5 That they may keep you from the loose woman, from the adventuress who flatters with and makes smooth her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked out through my lattice.
7 And among the simple (empty-headed and emptyhearted) ones, I perceived among the youths a young man void of good sense,
8 Sauntering through the street near the [loose woman's] corner; and he went the way to her house
9 In the twilight, in the evening; night black and dense was falling [over the young man's life].
10 And behold, there met him a woman, dressed as a harlot and sly and cunning of heart.
11 She is turbulent and willful; her feet stay not in her house;
12 Now in the streets, now in the marketplaces, she sets her ambush at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him and with impudent face she said to him,
14 Sacrifices of peace offerings were due from me; this day I paid my vows.
15 So I came forth to meet you [that you might share with me the feast from my offering]; diligently I sought your face, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with rugs and cushions of tapestry, with striped sheets of fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning; let us console and delight ourselves with love.
19 For the man is not at home; he is gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money with him and will come home at the day appointed [at the full moon].
21 With much justifying and enticing argument she persuades him, with the allurements of her lips she leads him [to overcome his conscience and his fears] and forces him along.
22 Suddenly he [yields and] follows her reluctantly like an ox moving to the slaughter, like one in fetters going to the correction [to be given] to a fool or like a dog enticed by food to the muzzle
23 Till a dart [of passion] pierces and inflames his vitals; then like a bird fluttering straight into the net [he hastens], not knowing that it will cost him his life.
24 Listen to me now therefore, O you sons, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart incline toward her ways, do not stray into her paths.
26 For she has cast down many wounded; indeed, all her slain are a mighty host. [Neh. 13:26.]
27 Her house is the way to Sheol (Hades, the place of the dead), going down to the chambers of death.
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Proverbs 7: AMPC
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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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Rights in the Authorized (King James) Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Published by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
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