Proverbs 7

¹ My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.

² Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teaching as the pupil 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 close friend—

⁵ that they may keep you from the forbidden woman,
from the stranger with her flattering words.

⁶ For at the window of my house
I looked down through the lattice.

⁷ I saw among the naive,
I noticed among the young men,
a youth who lacked sense.

⁸ He was crossing the street near her corner,
walking toward her house

⁹ at twilight, as the day was fading,
as the dark of night set in.

¹⁰ Then a woman came to meet him,
dressed like a prostitute, with crafty intent.

¹¹ She is loud and defiant;
her feet never stay at home.

¹² Now in the street, now in the squares,
lurking at every corner.

¹³ She grabbed him and kissed him,
and with a brazen face she said:

¹⁴ "I had to offer fellowship sacrifices;
today I fulfilled my vows.

¹⁵ So I came out to meet you,
to look for you, and I have found you!

¹⁶ I have spread my bed with coverings,
with colored linens from Egypt.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸ Come, let us drink deeply of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with caresses.

¹⁹ For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a distant journey.

²⁰ He took a bag of money with him
and will not return until the full moon."

²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray;
with her smooth talk she seduced him.

²² All at once he followed her
like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer stepping into a noose,

²³ till an arrow pierces his liver—
like a bird darting into a snare,
not knowing it will cost him his life.

²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen to me;
pay attention to the words of my mouth.

²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways
or stray into her paths.

²⁶ For she has brought down many victims;
her slain are a mighty throng.

²⁷ Her house is the road to Sheol,
going down to the chambers of death.