Noyes - Proverbs - 7

7:1  My son, keep my words, And treasure up my commandments with thee!

7:2  Keep my commandments and live! Yea, my teaching, as the apple of thine eye!

7:3  Bind them upon thy fingers, Write them upon the tablet of thy heart!

7:4  Say unto wisdom, "Thou art my sister!" And call understanding thy near acquaintance;

7:5  That they may keep thee from the wife of another, From the stranger, that useth smooth words.

7:6  For through the window of my house, Through the lattice I was looking forth,

7:7  And I saw among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding.

7:8  He was passing through the street near her corner, And was going the way to her house,

7:9  At twilight, in the evening, At midnight, yea, in the thick darkness.

7:10  And, behold, a woman met him, In the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart,—

7:11  One noisy and unruly, Whose feet abide not in her house;

7:12  Who is now in the streets, now in the broad places, And lurketh near every corner.

7:13  She caught hold of him and kissed him, And with a shameless face said to him,

7:14  "Thank-offerings have been upon me, And this day have I performed my vows;

7:15  Therefore came I forth to meet thee,—Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee!

7:16  I have spread my bed with coverlets, With tapestry of the thread of Egypt.

7:17  I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

7:18  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with caresses.

7:19  For the good-man is not at home; He is gone a long journey;

7:20  He hath taken a purse of money with him; At the day of the full moon he will return."

7:21  By her much fair speech she seduced him; By the smoothness of her lips she drew him away.

7:22  He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the chastisement of the fool,

7:23  Till an arrow strike through his liver; —As a bird hasteneth into the snare, And knoweth not that it is laid for its life.

7:24  Now, therefore, ye children, hearken to me, And attend to the words of my mouth!

7:25  Let not thy heart turn aside to her ways; Go not astray in her paths!

7:26  For many are the wounded which she hath cast down; Yea, countless is the number of those slain by her.

7:27  Her house is the way to the under-world, Leading down to the chambers of death.