Proverbs 7
Modern English Version
Beware of the Adulteress
7 My son, keep my words,
and lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live,
and my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call understanding your kinswoman,
5 that they may keep you from the immoral woman,
from the seductress who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my casement,
7 and saw 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 there a woman met him,
with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.
11 She is loud and stubborn;
her feet do not abide in her house.
12 Now she is without, now in the streets,
and lies in wait at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him;
and with an impudent face said to him:
14 “I have peace offerings with me;
this day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you,
diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.
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 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 will come home at the day appointed.”
21 With her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
with the flattering of her lips she seduced him.
22 He went after her straightway,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,
23 until a dart struck through his liver.
As a bird hastens to the snare,
he did not know that it would cost him his life.
24 Listen to me now therefore, O children,
and attend to the words of my mouth:
25 do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
do not go astray in her paths;
26 for she has cast down many wounded,
and many strong men have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.
Proverbs 7
American Standard Version
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 tablet of thy heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister;
And call understanding thy [a]kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman,
From the foreigner that [b]flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house
I looked forth through my lattice;
7 And I 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 of the day,
In the [c]middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman
With the attire of a harlot, and [d]wily of heart.
11 (She is [e]clamorous and wilful;
Her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places,
And lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him,
[f]And with an impudent face she said unto him:
14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings [g]are with me;
This day have I paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee,
Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have spread my couch with [h]carpets of tapestry,
With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have [i]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 man is not at home;
He is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him;
He will come home at the full moon.
21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield;
With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.
22 He goeth after her [j]straightway,
As an ox goeth to the slaughter,
Or as one in [k]fetters to the correction of the fool;
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver;
As a bird hasteth to the snare,
And knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,
And attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways;
Go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded:
Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
Going down to the chambers of death.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:4 Or, familiar friend
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew maketh smooth her words.
- Proverbs 7:9 Hebrew pupil (of the eye).
- Proverbs 7:10 Or, close. Hebrew guarded.
- Proverbs 7:11 Or, turbulent
- Proverbs 7:13 Hebrew She hardened her face, and said.
- Proverbs 7:14 Or, were due from me
- Proverbs 7:16 Or, cushions
- Proverbs 7:17 Or, sprinkled
- Proverbs 7:22 Hebrew suddenly.
- Proverbs 7:22 The Hebrew is obscure.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?)