Proverbs 7

¹My son, obey my words,

and treasure my commands. ^a

²Keep my commands and live, ^b

and guard my instructions

as you would the pupil of your eye. ^c

³Tie them to your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart. ^d

⁴Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” ^e

and call understanding your relative.

⁵She will keep you from a forbidden woman,

a wayward woman with her flattering talk. ^f

A Story of Seduction

⁶At the window of my house

I looked through my lattice. ^g

⁷I saw among the inexperienced, ^h

I noticed among the youths,

a young man lacking sense.

⁸Crossing the street near her corner,

he strolled down the road to her house

⁹at twilight, in the evening,

in the dark of the night. ⁱ

¹⁰A woman came to meet him

dressed like a prostitute, ^j

having a hidden agenda. ^k

¹¹She is loud and defiant; ^l

her feet do not stay at home. ^m

¹²Now in the street, now in the squares, ⁿ

she lurks at every corner. ^o

¹³She grabs him and kisses him;

she brazenly says ^p to him,

¹⁴“I’ve made fellowship offerings;

today I’ve fulfilled my vows. ^q

¹⁵So I came out to meet you,

to search for you, and I’ve found you.

¹⁶I’ve spread coverings on my bed ^r —

richly colored linen from Egypt. ^s

¹⁷I’ve perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ^t

¹⁸Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. ^u

Let’s feast on each other’s love!

¹⁹My husband isn’t home;

he went on a long journey.

²⁰He took a bag of silver with him

and will come home at the time of the full moon.”

²¹She seduces him with her persistent pleading;

she lures with her flattering talk.

²²He follows her impulsively

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deer bounding toward a trap ^v

²³until an arrow pierces its ^w liver, ^x

like a bird darting into a snare ^y —

he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

²⁴Now, sons, listen to me,

and pay attention to the words from my mouth.

²⁵Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;

don’t stray onto her paths. ^z

²⁶For she has brought many down to death;

her victims are countless. ^aa

²⁷Her house is the road to Sheol,

descending to the chambers of death. ^ab