Proverbs 7:10-23

English Standard Version

¹⁰ And behold, the woman meets him,
    ^(A)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.^[a]
11 She is ^(B)loud and ^(C)wayward;
    ^(D)her feet do not stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the market,
    and ^(E)at every corner she ^(F)lies in wait.
¹³ She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with ^(G)bold face she says to him,
¹⁴ “I had to ^(H)offer sacrifices,^[b]
    and today I have ^(I)paid my vows;
¹⁵ so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
¹⁶ I have spread my couch with ^(J)coverings,
    colored linens from ^(K)Egyptian linen;
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with ^(L)myrrh,
    aloes, and ^(M)cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
¹⁹ For ^(N)my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
²⁰ he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

²¹ With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with ^(O)her smooth talk she compels him.
²² All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast^[c]
23     till an arrow pierces its liver;
as ^(P)a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.