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

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16 You will be saved from the loose[a] woman,
    from the adventuress[b] with her smooth words,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:16 Heb strange
  2. Proverbs 2:16 Heb foreign woman

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

For the lips of a loose woman drip honey,
    and her speech[a] is smoother than oil;

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:3 Heb palate

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

20 Why should you be infatuated, my son, with a loose woman
    and embrace the bosom of an adventuress?

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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

to preserve you from the loose woman,
    from the adventuress with her smooth words.

For at the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
and I have seen among the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man without sense,
passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.

10 And lo, a woman meets him,
    dressed as a harlot, wily of heart.[a]
11 She is loud and wayward,
    her feet do not stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the market,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.
13 She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with impudent face she says to him:
14 “I had to offer sacrifices,
    and today I have paid my vows;
15 so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my couch with coverings,
    colored spreads of Egyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
    aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
20 he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

21 With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with her smooth talk she compels him.
22 All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast[b]
23     till an arrow pierces its entrails;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways,
    do not stray into her paths;
26 for many a victim has she laid low;
    yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:10 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
  2. Proverbs 7:22 Cn Compare Gk: Heb uncertain

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

14 The mouth of a loose woman is a deep pit;
    he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.

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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

26 My son, give me your heart,
    and let your eyes observe[a] my ways.
27 For a harlot is a deep pit;
    an adventuress is a narrow well.
28 She lies in wait like a robber
    and increases the faithless among men.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:26 Another reading is delight in