English Standard Version

King James Bible

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 law 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 table of thine 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 understanding 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 which 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 through my casement,

7

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

7

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, 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, in the black and dark night:

10

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

10

And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

11

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

11

(She is loud and stubborn; 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 is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13

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

13

So 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 payed 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, diligently to seek 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 coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

17

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

17

I have perfumed my bed 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 take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

19

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

19

For the goodman 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 a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

21

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

21

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

22

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

22

He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

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 a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

24

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

24

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, 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 thine 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: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27

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

27

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

Parallel

English Standard Version

King James Bible

Proverbs 7

Proverbs 7