Proverbs 7

Warning Against the Adulteress

1 *See ch. 2:1My son, keep my words

and *See ch. 2:1treasure up my commandments with you;

2 *See ch. 4:4keep my commandments and live;

keep my teaching as *Deut. 32:10the apple of your eye;

3 *See ch. 3:3bind them on your fingers;

*See ch. 3:3write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to wisdom, "You are my sister,"

and call insight your intimate friend,

5 to keep you from *See ch. 2:16the forbidden*7:5 Hebrew strange woman,

from *See ch. 2:16the adulteress*7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman with her smooth words.

6 For at *Judg. 5:28the window of my house

I have looked out through my lattice,

7 and I have seen among *See ch. 1:4the simple,

I have perceived among the youths,

a young man *See ch. 6:32lacking sense,

8 passing along the street *ver. 12near her corner,

taking the road to her house

9 in *Job 24:15the twilight, in the evening,

at *ch. 20:20the time of night and darkness.

10 And behold, the woman meets him,

*[Gen. 38:14]dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.*7:10 Hebrew guarded in heart

11 She is *ch. 9:13loud and *[Hos. 4:16] wayward;

*1 Tim. 5:13;[Titus 2:5]her feet do not stay at home;

12 now in the street, now in the market,

and *ver. 8at every corner she *ch. 23:28lies in wait.

13 She seizes him and kisses him,

and with *ch. 21:29bold face she says to him,

14 "I had to *Lev. 7:11offer sacrifices,*7:14 Hebrew peace offerings

and today I have *See Ps. 50:14paid my vows;

15 so now I have come out to meet you,

to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

16 I have spread my couch with *ch. 31:22coverings,

colored linens from *[Isa. 19:9]Egyptian linen;

17 I have perfumed my bed with *Ps. 45:8myrrh,

aloes, and *Ex. 30:23cinnamon.

18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

let us delight ourselves with love.

19 For *Matt. 20:11my 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 *ch. 5:3;6:24;See Ps. 12:2her 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*7:22 Probable reading (compare Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac); Hebrew as a chain to discipline a fool

23 till an arrow pierces its liver;

as *Eccles. 9:12a bird rushes into a snare;

he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24 And *See ch. 4:1now, 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,

and all her slain are *[Neh. 13:26]; See Judg. 16:1-5a mighty throng.

27 Her house is *[ch. 2:18;5:5;9:18]the way to Sheol,

going down to the chambers of death.