Proverbs 7:6-23

English Standard Version

⁶ For at ^(A)the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
⁷ and I have seen among ^(B)the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man ^(C)lacking sense,
⁸ passing along the street ^(D)near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
⁹ in ^(E)the twilight, in the evening,
    at ^(F)the time of night and darkness.

¹⁰ And behold, the woman meets him,
    ^(G)dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.^[a]
11 She is ^(H)loud and ^(I)wayward;
    ^(J)her feet do not stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the market,
    and ^(K)at every corner she ^(L)lies in wait.
¹³ She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with ^(M)bold face she says to him,
¹⁴ “I had to ^(N)offer sacrifices,^[b]
    and today I have ^(O)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 ^(P)coverings,
    colored linens from ^(Q)Egyptian linen;
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with ^(R)myrrh,
    aloes, and ^(S)cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
¹⁹ For ^(T)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 ^(U)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 ^(V)a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.