My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.(A)
Keep my commands and live,(B)
and guard my instructions
as you would the pupil of your eye.(C)
Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(D)
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”(E)
and call understanding your relative.
She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a wayward woman with her flattering talk.(F)

A Story of Seduction

At the window of my house
I looked through my lattice.(G)
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.(H)
10 A woman came to meet him
dressed like a prostitute,(I)
having a hidden agenda.[b]
11 She is loud and defiant;(J)
her feet do not stay at home.(K)
12 Now in the street, now in the squares,(L)
she lurks at every corner.(M)
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.(N)
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(O)
richly colored linen from Egypt.(P)
17 I’ve perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.(Q)
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning.(R)
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,(S)
like a bird darting into a snare(T)
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.(U)
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.(V)

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

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