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¶ Hijo mío, guarda mis razones, y encierra contigo mis mandamientos.

Guarda mis mandamientos, y vivirás; y mi ley como las niñas de tus ojos.

Lígalos a tus dedos; escríbelos en la tabla de tu corazón.

Di a la sabiduría: Tú eres mi hermana; y a la inteligencia llama parienta,

para que te guarden de la mujer ajena, y de la extraña que ablanda sus palabras.

¶ Porque mirando yo por la ventana de mi casa, por mi celosía,

vi entre los simples, consideré entre los jóvenes, un joven falto de entendimiento,

el cual pasaba por la calle, junto a la esquina de aquella, e iba camino de su casa;

a la tarde del día, ya que oscurecía; en la oscuridad y tiniebla de la noche.

10 Y he aquí, una mujer que le sale al encuentro con atavío de ramera, guardada de corazón,

11 alborotadora y rencillosa, sus pies no pueden estar en casa;

12 unas veces de fuera, o bien por las plazas, acechando por todas las esquinas.

13 Y traba de él, y lo besa; desvergonzó su rostro, y le dijo:

14 Sacrificios de paz había prometido, hoy he pagado mis votos;

15 por tanto he salido a encontrarte, buscando tu rostro, y te he hallado.

16 Con paramentos he ataviado mi cama, recamados con cordoncillo de Egipto.

17 He sahumado mi cámara con mirra, áloes, y canela.

18 Ven, embriaguémonos de amores hasta la mañana; alegrémonos en amores.

19 Porque el marido no está en casa, se ha ido a un largo viaje;

20 el saco de dinero llevó en su mano, el día de la fiesta volverá a su casa.

21 Lo derribó con la mucha suavidad de sus palabras, con la blandura de sus labios le persuadió.

22 Se va en pos de ella luego, como va el buey al degolladero, y como el loco a las prisiones para ser castigado;

23 de tal manera que la saeta traspasó su hígado; como el ave que se apresura al lazo, y no sabe que es contra su vida.

24 ¶ Ahora pues, hijos, oídme, y estad atentos a las razones de mi boca.

25 No se aparte a sus caminos tu corazón; no yerres en sus veredas.

26 Porque a muchos ha hecho caer muertos; y todos los fuertes han sido muertos por ella.

27 Caminos del Seol son su casa, que descienden a las cámaras de la muerte.

The Wiles of the Prostitute

My son, keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you [so they are readily available to guide you].

Keep my commandments and live,
And keep my teaching and law as the apple of your eye.

Bind them [securely] on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Say to [skillful and godly] wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And regard understanding and intelligent insight as your intimate friends;

That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the foreigner [who does not observe God’s laws and] who flatters with her [smooth] words.


For at the window of my house
I looked out through my lattice.

And among the naive [the inexperienced and gullible],
I saw among the youths
A young man lacking [good] sense,

Passing through the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house

In the twilight, in the evening;
In the black and dark night.
10 
And there a woman met him,
Dressed as a prostitute and sly and cunning of heart.
11 
She was boisterous and rebellious;
[a]She would not stay at home.
12 
At times she was in the streets, at times in the market places,
Lurking and setting her ambush at every corner.
13 
So she caught him and kissed him
And with a brazen and 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 [that you might share with me the feast of my offering],
Diligently I sought your face and I have found you.
16 
“I have spread my couch with coverings and cushions of tapestry,
With colored fine linen of Egypt.
17 
“I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 
“Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
Let us console and delight ourselves with love.
19 
“For my husband is not at home.
He has gone on a long journey;
20 
He has taken a bag of money with him,
And he will come home on the appointed day.”
21 
With her many persuasions she caused him to yield;
With her flattering lips she seduced him.
22 
Suddenly he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter [not knowing the outcome],
Or as one in stocks going to the correction [to be given] to a fool,
23 
Until an arrow pierced his liver [with a mortal wound];
Like a bird fluttering straight into the net,
He did not know that it would cost him his life.

24 
Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her [evil, immoral] paths.
26 
For she has cast down many [mortally] wounded;
Indeed, all who were killed by her were strong.(A)
27 
Her house is the way to [b]Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.(B)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:11 Lit Her feet do not.
  2. Proverbs 7:27 Hades, the nether world, the place of the dead.

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