Proverbs 7

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.	1 My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.	2 Keep my commands and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.	3 Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:	4 Say to Wisdom, "You are my sister!" call Understanding, "Friend!"
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.	5 That they may keep you from another's wife, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,	6 For at the window of my house, through my lattice I looked out--
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,	7 And I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the young men, a youth with no sense,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,	8 Going along the street near the corner, then walking in the direction of her house--
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:	9 In the twilight, at dusk of day, at the time of the dark of night.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.	10 And lo! the woman comes to meet him, robed like a harlot, with secret designs--
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:	11 She is fickle and unruly, in her home her feet cannot rest;
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)	12 Now she is in the streets, now in the open squares, and at every corner she lurks in ambush--
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,	13 When she seizes him, she kisses him, and with an impudent look says to him:
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.	14 "I owed peace offerings, and today I have fulfilled my vows;
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.	15 So I came out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you!
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.	16 With coverlets I have spread my couch, with brocaded cloths of Egyptian linen;
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.	17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.	18 "Come, let us drink our fill of love, until morning, let us feast on love!
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:	19 For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey;
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.	20 A bag of money he took with him, not till the full moon will he return home."
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.	21 She wins him over by her repeated urging, with her smooth lips she leads him astray;
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;	22 He follows her stupidly, like an ox that is led to slaughter; Like a stag that minces toward the net,
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.	23 till an arrow pierces its liver; Like a bird that rushes into a snare, unaware that its life is at stake.
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.	24 So now, O children, listen to me, be attentive to the words of my mouth!
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.	25 Let not your heart turn to her ways, go not astray in her paths;
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.	26 For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous, those she has slain.
27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.	27 Her house is made up of ways to the nether world, leading down into the chambers of death.