Proverbs 7 WBT
Summary: The father again warns against the adulteress, this time through a vivid narrative scene: a young man lacking sense wanders near her corner at twilight, and a woman dressed as a prostitute, "loud and wayward," meets and kisses him, luring him with talk of peace offerings already paid and a perfumed, spiced bed. He follows her impulsively, "as an ox goes to the slaughter... as a bird rushes into a snare" (v. 22-23), not knowing it will cost him his life. The chapter closes with the father's grave warning that many strong men have been slain by such a woman, and that her house is a highway straight down to the chambers of death.
1My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.
3Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
4Say to wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman:
5That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.
6For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house.
9In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10And behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.
11(She [is] loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13So she caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said to him,
14[I have] peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.
15Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.
17I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19For the good-man [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20He hath taken a bag of money with him, [and] will come home at the day appointed.
21With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she impelled him.
22He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it [is] for his life.
24Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26For she hath cast down many wounded: yes, many strong [men] have been slain by her.
27Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.
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