1901 American Standard Version (ASV)

Proverbs 7

1 Solomon persuadeth to a sincere and kind familiarity with wisdom. 6 In an example of his own experience, he sheweth 10 the cunning of a whore, 22 and the desperate simplicity of a young wanton. 24 He dehorteth from such wickedness.

 7:1 ¶ My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

 7:2 Keep my commandments and live; And my law as the apple of thine eye.

 7:3 Bind them upon thy fingers; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.

 7:4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; And call understanding [thy] kinswoman:

 7:5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, From the foreigner that flattereth with her words.

 7:6 ¶ For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;

 7:7 And I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, A young man void of understanding,

 7:8 Passing through the street near her corner; And he went the way to her house,

 7:9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, In the middle of the night and in the darkness.

 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.

 7:11 She is clamorous and wilful; Her feet abide not in her house:

 7:12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, And lieth in wait at every corner.

 7:13 So she caught him, and kissed him, [And] with an impudent face she said unto him:

 7:14 Sacrifices of peace-offerings are with me; This day have I paid my vows.

 7:15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, Diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

 7:16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, With striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.

 7:17 I have perfumed my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

 7:18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; Let us solace ourselves with loves.

 7:19 For the man is not at home; He is gone a long journey:

 7:20 He hath taken a bag of money with him; He will come home at the full moon.

 7:21 With her much fair speech she causeth him to yield; With the flattering of her lips she forceth him along.

 7:22 He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as [one in] fetters to the correction of the fool;

 7:23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life.

 7:24 ¶ Now therefore, [my] sons, hearken unto me, And attend to the words of my mouth.

 7:25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways; Go not astray in her paths.

 7:26 For she hath cast down many wounded: Yea, all her slain are a mighty host.

 7:27 Her house is the way to Sheol, Going down to the chambers of death.