要遠離淫婦

孩子啊,你要遵從我的吩咐,
    把我的誡命珍藏在心中。
遵守我的誡命,你便存活。
    要愛護我的訓言,
    如愛護眼中的瞳人。
要繫在你的指頭上,
    刻在你的心版上。
你要把智慧當作姊妹,
    將悟性視為親人。
她們能使你遠離淫婦,
    遠離妓女的甜言蜜語。

我曾在家裡的窗前,
    透過窗櫺往外觀看,
只見在愚昧的青年人中,
    有個無知的青年,
他穿過靠近淫婦的巷口,
    朝她的家門走去,
趁著日暮黃昏,
    藉著夜色昏暗。
10 看啊!一個妓女打扮、
    心術不正的女子出來迎接他。
11 她喧嚷放蕩,不安分守家,
12 有時在街上,有時在廣場,
    或在各巷口守候。
13 她纏著那青年,與他親吻,
    厚顏無恥地說:
14 「我今天剛獻祭還了願,
    家裡有平安祭肉[a]
15 因此我出來四處尋找你,
    終於找到了你!
16 我已經鋪好了床,
    鋪上了埃及的繡花布,
17 又用沒藥、沉香、肉桂薰了床。
18 來吧,讓我們通宵暢飲愛情,
    讓我們盡情歡愛!
19 因為我丈夫不在家,出遠門了。
20 他帶著錢囊去了,月底才回來。」
21 淫婦花言巧語勾引他,
    用諂媚的話語誘惑他。
22 那青年立刻隨她而去,
    像走向屠宰場的公牛,
    又像掉入陷阱的雄鹿,
23 直等到利箭射穿他的肝。
    他像隻自投網羅的飛鳥,
    渾然不知要賠上性命!

24 孩子們啊,你們要聽從我的話,
    留意我口中的訓言,
25 別讓你的心偏向淫婦的道,
    步入她的歧途。
26 因為她使許多人喪命,
    被她殺害的數目眾多。
27 她的家是通往陰間的路,
    引人墜入死亡的殿。

Footnotes

  1. 7·14 按猶太律法規定,還願之後所得的祭肉要在第二天吃完。參考利未記7·16

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.