要远离淫妇

孩子啊,你要遵从我的吩咐,
    把我的诫命珍藏在心中。
遵守我的诫命,你便存活。
    要爱护我的训言,
    如爱护眼中的瞳仁。
要系在你的指头上,
    刻在你的心版上。
你要把智慧当作姊妹,
    将悟性视为亲人。
她们能使你远离淫妇,
    远离妓女的甜言蜜语。

我曾在家里的窗前,
    透过窗棂往外观看,
只见在愚昧的青年人中,
    有个无知的青年,
他穿过靠近淫妇的巷口,
    朝她的家门走去,
趁着日暮黄昏,
    借着夜色昏暗。
10 看啊!一个妓女打扮、
    心术不正的女子出来迎接他。
11 她喧嚷放荡,不安分守家,
12 有时在街上,有时在广场,
    或在各巷口守候。
13 她缠着那青年,与他亲吻,
    厚颜无耻地说:
14 “我今天刚献祭还了愿,
    家里有平安祭肉[a]
15 因此我出来四处寻找你,
    终于找到了你!
16 我已经铺好了床,
    铺上了埃及的绣花布,
17 又用没药、沉香、肉桂熏了床。
18 来吧,让我们通宵畅饮爱情,
    让我们尽情欢爱!
19 因为我丈夫不在家,出远门了。
20 他带着钱囊去了,月底才回来。”
21 淫妇花言巧语勾引他,
    用谄媚的话语诱惑他。
22 那青年立刻随她而去,
    像走向屠宰场的公牛,
    又像掉入陷阱的雄鹿,
23 直等到利箭射穿他的肝。
    他像只自投网罗的飞鸟,
    浑然不知要赔上性命!

24 孩子们啊,你们要听从我的话,
    留意我口中的训言,
25 别让你的心偏向淫妇的道,
    步入她的歧途。
26 因为她使许多人丧命,
    被她杀害的数目众多。
27 她的家是通往阴间的路,
    引人坠入死亡的殿。

Footnotes

  1. 7:14 按犹太律法规定,还愿之后所得的祭肉要在第二天吃完。参考利未记7:16

The Adulteress’ Trap

My son, (A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
(B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [a]law (C)as the [b]apple of your eye.
(D)Bind them on your fingers;
(E)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;
In order to keep you from the strange woman,
From the foreign woman who [c]flatters with her words.

For (F)at the window of my house
I looked out (G)through my lattice,
And I saw among the (H)simple,
And discerned among the [d]sons
A young man (I)lacking a heart of wisdom,
Passing through the street near (J)her corner;
And he strides along the way to (K)her house,
In the (L)twilight, in the evening of that day,
In the [e]middle of the night, and in the thick darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(M)Dressed as a harlot and [f]cunning of heart.
11 She is (N)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (O)feet do not dwell at home;
12 Stepping in the streets, stepping (P)in the squares,
And near every corner she (Q)lies in wait.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him
[g]And with a (R)brazen face she says to him:
14 “The sacrifices of (S)peace offerings are with me;
Today I (T)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your face earnestly, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (U)coverings,
With colored (V)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (W)myrrh, aloes, and (X)cinnamon.
18 Come, then, let us drink our fill as lovers until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with the pleasures of love.
19 For [h]my husband is not at home,
He has gone on a journey far away;
20 He took a (Y)bag of silver in his hand,
On the day of the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her abundant [i]persuasions she entices him;
With her (Z)flattering lips she drives him to herself.
22 He suddenly follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [j]as one in fetters to the discipline of an ignorant fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (AA)bird hastens to the snare,
And he does not know that it will cost him his [k]soul.

24 So now, my sons, (AB)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (AC)go astray into her ways,
Do not wander into her pathways.
26 For many are the slain whom she has cast down,
And (AD)numerous are all those killed by her.
27 The ways to Sheol are in her (AE)house,
Descending to the chambers of death.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:2 Or instruction
  2. Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
  3. Proverbs 7:5 Lit is smooth
  4. Proverbs 7:7 Or youths
  5. Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
  6. Proverbs 7:10 Lit guarded
  7. Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
  8. Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
  9. Proverbs 7:21 Lit learning
  10. Proverbs 7:22 Some ancient versions as a stag goes into a trap
  11. Proverbs 7:23 Or life

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.

The Wiles of a Harlot

My son, keep my words,
And (A)treasure my commands within you.
(B)Keep my commands and live,
(C)And my law as the apple of your eye.
(D)Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your nearest kin,
(E)That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress who flatters with her words.

The Crafty Harlot

For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the [a]youths,
A young man (F)devoid[b] of understanding,
Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
(G)In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.

10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 (H)She was loud and rebellious,
(I)Her feet would not stay at home.
12 At times she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an [c]impudent face she said to him:
14 I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of (J)Egyptian linen.
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For [d]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
20 He has taken a bag of money [e]with him,
And will come home [f]on the appointed day.”

21 [g]With (K)her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
(L)With her flattering lips she [h]seduced him.
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or [i]as a fool to the correction of the [j]stocks,
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
(M)As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it [k]would cost his life.

24 Now therefore, listen to me, my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And (N)all who were slain by her were strong men.
27 (O)Her house is the way to [l]hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:7 Lit. sons
  2. Proverbs 7:7 lacking
  3. Proverbs 7:13 shameless
  4. Proverbs 7:19 Lit. the man
  5. Proverbs 7:20 Lit. in his hand
  6. Proverbs 7:20 at the full moon
  7. Proverbs 7:21 By the greatness of her words
  8. Proverbs 7:21 compelled
  9. Proverbs 7:22 LXX, Syr., Tg. as a dog to bonds; Vg. as a lamb . . . to bonds
  10. Proverbs 7:22 shackles
  11. Proverbs 7:23 Lit. is for
  12. Proverbs 7:27 Or Sheol