Mishle 6:23-7:27
Orthodox Jewish Bible
23 For the mitzvah is a ner (lamp); and torah an ohr; and tokhakhot musar (reproofs of discipline) are the Derech Chayyim (Life Lane);
24 To be shomer over thee, keeping thee from the eshet rah, from the smooth lashon of the nokhriyah (strange woman).
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine lev; neither let her allure thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of an isha zonah a man is reduced to a kikar lechem; and [another] man’s wife will prey on the nefesh yekara (precious soul).
27 Can a man take eish in his kheyk, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one walk upon hot coals, and his regel not be burned?
29 So is he that goeth into his eshet re’a; whosoever toucheth her shall not go unpunished.
30 Men do not despise a ganav if he steal to satisfy his nefesh when he is starving;
31 But if he be found out, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give hon (substance, wealth) of his bais;
32 But the no’ef (one who committeth adultery) with an isha lacketh lev [of understanding]; he that doeth it destroyeth his own nefesh.
33 A nega [see Isaiah 53:8 for Moshiach’s nega taken for unfaithful Israel] and dishonor shall he get; and his cherpah (reproach) shall not be wiped away.
34 For kina (jealousy) is the chamat gever (husband’s rage); therefore he will not spare in the yom nakam (day of vengeance).
35 He will not regard kofer (compensation); neither will he be the appeased, though shochad (bribe) be great.
7 Beni (my son), be shomer over my words, and treasure up my mitzvot with thee.
2 Be shomer over my mitzvot, and live, and over my torah as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the luach (tablet) of thine lev.
4 Say unto chochmah, Thou art my achot; and call binah (understanding) thy kinsman;
5 That they may be shomer over thee and keep thee from the zarah, from the nokhriyah with her smooth words.
6 For at the chalon (window) of my bais I looked through my lattice,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the banim, a na’ar (young man) devoid of lev [of understanding, sense],
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went on the derech to her bais,
9 In the twilight, at erev, in the black and dark lailah;
10 And, hinei, there met him an isha with the attire of a zonah, and crafty of lev
11 —She is loud and soreret (rebellious, defiant); her raglayim abide not in her bais;
12 Now is she without, now in the rechovot, and lurketh in wait at every pinnah (corner)—
13 So she caught hold of him, and kissed him, and with a brazen ponem said unto him,
14 I have zivkhei shelamim vowed; this yom have I payed my neder.
15 Al ken (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 a bedspread of fine linen of Mitzrayim.
17 I have perfumed my mishkav (bed) with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of dodim (loves) until boker; let us delight ourselves with ahavim (loves, pl. of intensity).
19 For the ish (man, i.e., husband) is not b’bais, he is gone a derech merachok (distant journey);
20 He hath taken a bag of kesef with him, and will come back to his bais at the appointed time.
21 By her enticing speech she caused him to yield, with the smoothness of her sfatayim she seduced him.
22 He goeth after her and followeth immediately, as a shor (ox) goeth to tavach (stock yard, slaughter-house), or as the fettered to the musar of the fool;
23 Till a khetz (arrow) strike through his liver; as a tzippor hasteth to the pach (snare), and knoweth not that it is for his nefesh (life).
24 Pay heed unto me now therefore, O ye banim, and attend to the words of my peh (mouth).
25 Let not thine lev turn aside to her drakhim; go not astray in her netivot (trodden paths).
26 For she hath cast down many chalalim (wounded); indeed, many strong men have been slain by her.
27 Her bais is the drakhei Sheol, going down to the chadarim (chambers, rooms) of mavet (death). [T.N. The off-stage character here in chp 7 has been the cuckold. Because of her Ba’al affair, Hashem became the cuckold of Israel even as Hosea became the cuckold of Gomer.]
Proverbs 6:23-7:27
King James Version
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
7 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 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.
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