Proverbs 7

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands.	1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Keep my commands and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye;	2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.	3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say to Wisdom, "You are my sister!" call Understanding, "Friend!"	4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 That they may keep you from another's wife, from the adulteress with her smooth words.	5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 For at the window of my house, through my lattice I looked out--	6 For I look out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 And I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the young men, a youth with no sense,	7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 Going along the street near the corner, then walking in the direction of her house--	8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house.
9 In the twilight, at dusk of day, at the time of the dark of night.	9 In the dark, when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night,
10 And lo! the woman comes to meet him, robed like a harlot, with secret designs--	10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot's attire prepared to deceive souls; talkative and wandering,
11 She is fickle and unruly, in her home her feet cannot rest;	11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the open squares, and at every corner she lurks in ambush--	12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 When she seizes him, she kisses him, and with an impudent look says to him:	13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 "I owed peace offerings, and today I have fulfilled my vows;	14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you!	15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 With coverlets I have spread my couch, with brocaded cloths of Egyptian linen;	16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.	17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 "Come, let us drink our fill of love, until morning, let us feast on love!	18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
19 For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey;	19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
20 A bag of money he took with him, not till the full moon will he return home."	20 He took with him a bag of money: he mill return home the day of the full moon.
21 She wins him over by her repeated urging, with her smooth lips she leads him astray;	21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 He follows her stupidly, like an ox that is led to slaughter; Like a stag that minces toward the net,	22 Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,
23 till an arrow pierces its liver; Like a bird that rushes into a snare, unaware that its life is at stake.	23 Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
24 So now, O children, listen to me, be attentive to the words of my mouth!	24 Now therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart turn to her ways, go not astray in her paths;	25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
26 For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous, those she has slain.	26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
27 Her house is made up of ways to the nether world, leading down into the chambers of death.	27 Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the inner chambers of death.