Add parallel Print Page Options

慎防淫婦的誘惑

我兒,要遵守我的話,

把我的誡命珍藏在心裡;

遵守我的誡命,你就可以存活;

遵守我的訓誨,好像護衛你眼中的瞳人。

要把它們繫在你的指頭上,

刻在你的心版上。

要對智慧說:“你是我的姊妹”,

要稱呼聰明為親人;

這樣行就可以保護你脫離淫亂的婦人,

脫離說諂媚話的妓女。

我在我家的窗戶內,

透過窗櫺往外觀看,

看見在愚蒙人中間,

在少年人(“少年人”原文作“眾子”)裡面,

我發覺有一個無知的少年人,

在街上經過,走近淫婦的住處,

向著她的家走去,

那時是黃昏、傍晚,

是在夜裡,天黑的時候。

10 看哪!有一個婦人來迎接他,

是妓女的打扮,心存詭詐。

11 這婦人喧嘩不停,不受約束;

她在家裡停不住腳。

12 她有時在街上,有時在廣場上,

或在任何角落旁邊藏伏。

13 她緊拉著那少年人,和他親嘴,

厚顏無恥地對他說:

14 “我曾許願要獻平安祭,

今天我剛還了我所許的願。

15 因此,我出來迎接你,

切切尋找你,終於找到你。

16 我已用毯子,埃及線織成的花紋布,

鋪了我的床;

17 又用沒藥、沉香和桂皮,

薰了我的榻。

18 來吧!我們來飽享愛情,直到天亮,

我們來在愛中盡情享樂。

19 因為我丈夫不在家,

遠行去了。

20 他手裡帶著錢袋,

要到月圓的時候才回家。”

21 淫婦用許多花言巧語引誘他,

用諂媚的嘴唇勾引他。

22 少年人就立刻跟隨她,

好像牛走向屠房,

又像愚妄人帶著鎖鍊去受刑罰,

23 直到箭矢射透他的肝;

他仿佛飛鳥投入網羅,

並不知道會喪失性命。

24 孩子們,現在你們要聽從我,

留心聽我口中的話。

25 你的心不可偏向淫婦的道路,

也不要迷戀她的路徑。

26 因為她使許多人倒斃,

被她殺害的實在無數。

27 她的家是通往陰間的路,

是下到死亡的宮房。

Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

My son,(A) keep my words
    and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;(B)
    guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(D)

At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.(E)
He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
at twilight,(F) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(G) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)(H)
13 She took hold of him(I) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:(J)

14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering(K) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(L)
    with myrrh,(M) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(N)
19 My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.(O)
22 All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b](P)
23     till an arrow pierces(Q) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.(R)

24 Now then, my sons, listen(S) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.(T)
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.(U)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:22 Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool
  2. Proverbs 7:22 The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

10 And, 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:

12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13 So 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.

15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with 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 the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.