16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,(A)
from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,(B)

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16 To (A)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (B)foreign woman who flatters with her words,

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Though the lips of the forbidden woman drip honey
and her words are[a] smoother than oil,

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Footnotes

  1. 5:3 Lit her palate is

For the lips of an [a](A)adulteress (B)drip honey,
And her [b]speech is (C)smoother than oil;

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 5:3 Lit palate

20 Why, my son, would you lose yourself
with a forbidden woman
or embrace a wayward woman?(A)

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20 For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an [a](A)adulteress,
And embrace the breasts of a (B)foreigner?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:20 Lit strange woman

She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a wayward woman with her flattering talk.(A)

A Story of Seduction

At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.(B)
I saw among the inexperienced,[a]
I noticed among the youths,
a young man lacking sense.
Crossing the street near her corner,
he strolled down the road to her house
at twilight, in the evening,
in the dark of the night.(C)
10 A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,(D)
having a hidden agenda.[b]
11 She is loud and defiant;(E)
her feet do not stay at home.(F)
12 Now in the street, now in the squares,(G)
she lurks at every corner.(H)
13 She grabs him and kisses him;
she brazenly says[c] to him,
14 “I’ve made fellowship offerings;
today I’ve fulfilled my vows.(I)
15 So I came out to meet you,
to search for you, and I’ve found you.
16 I’ve spread coverings on my bed(J)
richly colored linen from Egypt.(K)
17 I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.(L)
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.(M)
Let’s feast on each other’s love!
19 My husband isn’t home;
he went on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of silver with him
and will come home at the time of the full moon.”
21 She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering talk.
22 He follows her impulsively
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer bounding toward a trap[d]
23 until an arrow pierces its[e] liver,(N)
like a bird darting into a snare(O)
he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

24 Now, sons, listen to me,
and pay attention to the words from my mouth.
25 Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;
don’t stray onto her paths.(P)
26 For she has brought many down to death;
her victims are countless.[f]
27 Her house is the road to Sheol,
descending to the chambers of death.(Q)

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Footnotes

  1. 7:7 Or simple, or gullible, or naive
  2. 7:10 Or prostitute with a guarded heart
  3. 7:13 Lit she makes her face strong and says
  4. 7:22 Text emended; MT reads like a shackle to the discipline of a fool; Hb obscure
  5. 7:23 Or his
  6. 7:26 Or and powerful men are all her victims

So that they may keep you from an [a]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

For (A)at the window of my house
I looked out (B)through my lattice,
And I saw among the (C)naive,
And discerned among the [b]youths
A young man (D)lacking [c]sense,
Passing through the street near (E)her corner;
And he walks along the way to (F)her house,
In the (G)twilight, in the [d]evening,
In the [e]middle of the night and the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman comes to meet him,
(H)Dressed as a prostitute and cunning of heart.
11 She is (I)boisterous and rebellious,
Her (J)feet do not remain at home;
12 She is now in the streets, now (K)in the public squares,
And (L)lurks by every corner.
13 So she seizes him and kisses him,
[f]And with a (M)brazen face she says to him:
14 [g]I was due to offer (N)peace offerings;
Today I have (O)paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come out to meet you,
To seek your presence diligently, and I have found you.
16 I have spread my couch with (P)coverings,
With colored (Q)linens of Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed
With (R)myrrh, aloes, and (S)cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning;
Let’s delight ourselves with caresses.
19 For [h]my husband is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a (T)bag of money [i]with him.
At the full moon he will come home.”
21 With her many persuasions she entices him;
With her [j](U)flattering lips she seduces him.
22 Suddenly he follows her
As an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or as [k]one walks in ankle bracelets to the discipline of a fool,
23 Until an arrow pierces through his liver;
As a (V)bird hurries to the snare,
So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 Now therefore, my sons, (W)listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart (X)turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths.
26 For many are the [l]victims she has brought to ruin,
And (Y)numerous are all those slaughtered by her.
27 Her (Z)house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons
  3. Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart
  4. Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day
  5. Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye)
  6. Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says
  7. Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me
  8. Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man
  9. Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand
  10. Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth
  11. Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain
  12. Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded

14 The mouth of the forbidden woman is a deep pit;
a man cursed by the Lord will fall into it.(A)

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14 The mouth of [a](A)an adulteress is a deep pit;
He who is (B)cursed of the Lord will fall [b]into it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:14 Lit strange woman
  2. Proverbs 22:14 Lit there

26 My son, give me your heart,
and let your eyes observe my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,(A)
and a wayward woman is a narrow well;
28 indeed, she sets an ambush like a robber(B)
and increases the number of unfaithful people.

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26 (A)Give me your heart, my son,
And let your eyes [a](B)delight in my ways.
27 For a prostitute is a (C)deep pit,
And a [b](D)strange woman is a narrow well.
28 Certainly she (E)lurks as a robber,
And increases the treacherous among mankind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is observe
  2. Proverbs 23:27 Lit foreign