English Standard Version

Darby Bible Translation

Warning Against the Adulteress

My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;

1

Warnings about the Adulteress

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

2

keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;

2

Keep my commandments, and live; and my teaching, as the apple of thine eye.

3

bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

3

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

4

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,

4

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister, and call intelligence [thy] kinswoman:

5

to keep you from the forbiddena woman,
from the adulteressb with her smooth words.

5

that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words.

6

For at the window of my house
I have looked out through my lattice,

6

For at the window of my house, I looked forth through my lattice,

7

and I have seen among the simple,
I have perceived among the youths,
a young man lacking sense,

7

and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the sons, a young man void of understanding,

8

passing along the street near her corner,
taking the road to her house

8

passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

9

in the twilight, in the evening,
at the time of night and darkness.

9

in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.

10

And behold, the woman meets him,
dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.c

10

And behold, there met him a woman in the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart.

11

She is loud and wayward;
her feet do not stay at home;

11

She is clamorous and unmanageable; her feet abide not in her house:

12

now in the street, now in the market,
and at every corner she lies in wait.

12

now without, now in the broadways, -- and she lieth in wait at every corner.

13

She seizes him and kisses him,
and with bold face she says to him,

13

And she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

14

“I had to offer sacrifices,d
and today I have paid my vows;

14

I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows:

15

so now I have come out to meet you,
to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

15

therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek earnestly thy face, and I have found thee.

16

I have spread my couch with coverings,
colored linens from Egyptian linen;

16

I have decked my bed with tapestry coverlets of variegated linen from Egypt;

17

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

17

I have perfumed my couch with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18

Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
let us delight ourselves with love.

18

Come, let us revel in love until the morning, let us delight ourselves with loves.

19

For my husband is not at home;
he has gone on a long journey;

19

For the husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;

20

he took a bag of money with him;
at full moon he will come home.”

20

he hath taken the money-bag with him, he will come home on the day of the full moon.

21

With much seductive speech she persuades him;
with her smooth talk she compels him.

21

With her much enticement she beguiled him; with the smoothness of her lips she constrained him.

22

All at once he follows her,
as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught faste

22

He went after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, and as stocks [serve] for the correction of the fool;

23

till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
he does not know that it will cost him his life.

23

till an arrow strike through his liver: as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for its life.

24

And now, O sons, listen to me,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

24

And now, ye sons, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25

Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
do not stray into her paths,

25

Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths:

26

for many a victim has she laid low,
and all her slain are a mighty throng.

26

for she hath cast down many wounded, and all slain by her were strong.

27

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

27

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

Parallel

English Standard Version

Darby Bible Translation

Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7