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Proverbs 7

My son, keep my words and store up my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live; guard my law like the pupil of your eye. Bind them on your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your close relative,

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The young man with no sense

My son, keep my words and store up my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live; guard my law like the pupil of your eye. Bind them on your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your close relative, They'll keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words. From the window of my house I looked out through the lattice, I saw among the simple and noticed among the young men a young man with no sense. and saw him passing along the street near her corner, heading towards her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the blackness of night. Then a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute and crafty in heart. She is loud and stubborn; her feet never stay at home. One moment she's outside, the next she's in the streets, lying in wait at every corner. She caught him, kissed him, and with a bold face said, ‘I have peace offerings with me; today I've paid my vows.’ ‘So I came out to meet you. I was looking especially for you—and here you are.’ ‘I've covered my bed with tapestry, carved works and fine linen from Egypt.’ ‘I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.’ ‘Come, let's take our fill of love until morning; let's delight ourselves with love.’ ‘My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long journey.’ ‘He's taken a bag of money with him and won't be home until the appointed day.’ With all her persuasive talk she won him over; with flattering lips she drew him in. He followed her straight away, like an ox going to slaughter, or a fool to the correction of the stocks, until an arrow strikes through his liver—like a bird hurrying into a snare, not knowing it will cost him his life. So listen to me now, children, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't wander down her paths. She has cast down many wounded; many strong men have been killed by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

My son, keep my words and store up my orders with you. Keep my orders and live, and my teaching like the pupil of your eye. Tie them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart. Say to wisdom: You're my sister. And call understanding your relative — so they keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words. Because at the window of my house I looked out through the lattice, and I saw among the simple ones, I made out among the young men, a young man with no sense, going along the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house, in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. And there was a woman meeting him, with the dress of a prostitute and a crafty heart. She's loud and stubborn. Her feet don't stay in her house. Now she's outside, now in the streets, and lying in wait at every corner. So she caught him and kissed him, and with a hard face said to him: I've got peace offerings with me. Today I've paid my vows. So I came out to meet you, to look hard for your face — and I've found you. I've spread my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let's take our fill of love till the morning. Let's take our comfort with love. Because the man isn't at home. He's gone a long journey. He's taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the set day. With plenty of fair speech she made him give in. With the flattery of her lips she pushed him along. He goes after her at once, like an ox goes to the slaughter, or like a fool to the correction of the stocks — till an arrow strikes through his liver. Like a bird hurrying to the snare, and doesn't know it's for his life. So listen to me now, you children, and pay attention to the words of my mouth. Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't go astray in her paths. Because she's thrown down plenty wounded. Yes, plenty of strong men have been killed by her. Her house is the way to the grave, going down to the chambers of death.

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee. Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye. Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

1

My son, keep my words and store up my commandments within you.

Plain English

My son, keep my words and store up my orders with you.

King James Version, 1611

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

2

Keep my commandments and live; guard my law like the pupil of your eye.

Plain English

Keep my orders and live, and my teaching like the pupil of your eye.

King James Version, 1611

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

3

Bind them on your fingers and write them on the tablet of your heart.

Plain English

Tie them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

King James Version, 1611

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.

4

Say to wisdom, ‘You are my sister,’ and call understanding your close relative,

Plain English

Say to wisdom: You're my sister. And call understanding your relative —

King James Version, 1611

Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

5

They'll keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.

Plain English

so they keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

King James Version, 1611

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

6

From the window of my house I looked out through the lattice,

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

7

I saw among the simple and noticed among the young men a young man with no sense.

Plain English

and I saw among the simple ones, I made out among the young men, a young man with no sense,

King James Version, 1611

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8

and saw him passing along the street near her corner, heading towards her house,

Plain English

going along the street near her corner. And he went the way to her house,

King James Version, 1611

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

9

in the twilight, in the evening, in the blackness of night.

Plain English

in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.

King James Version, 1611

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

10

Then a woman met him, dressed like a prostitute and crafty in heart.

Plain English

And there was a woman meeting him, with the dress of a prostitute and a crafty heart.

King James Version, 1611

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

11

She is loud and stubborn; her feet never stay at home.

Plain English

She's loud and stubborn. Her feet don't stay in her house.

King James Version, 1611

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

12

One moment she's outside, the next she's in the streets, lying in wait at every corner.

Plain English

Now she's outside, now in the streets, and lying in wait at every corner.

King James Version, 1611

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

13

She caught him, kissed him, and with a bold face said,

Plain English

So she caught him and kissed him, and with a hard face said to him:

King James Version, 1611

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

14

‘I have peace offerings with me; today I've paid my vows.’

Plain English

I've got peace offerings with me. Today I've paid my vows.

King James Version, 1611

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

15

‘So I came out to meet you. I was looking especially for you—and here you are.’

Plain English

So I came out to meet you, to look hard for your face — and I've found you.

King James Version, 1611

Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

16

‘I've covered my bed with tapestry, carved works and fine linen from Egypt.’

Plain English

I've spread my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

King James Version, 1611

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

17

‘I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.’

Plain English

I've perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

King James Version, 1611

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

18

‘Come, let's take our fill of love until morning; let's delight ourselves with love.’

Plain English

Come, let's take our fill of love till the morning. Let's take our comfort with love.

King James Version, 1611

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

19

‘My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long journey.’

Plain English

Because the man isn't at home. He's gone a long journey.

King James Version, 1611

For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

20

‘He's taken a bag of money with him and won't be home until the appointed day.’

Plain English

He's taken a bag of money with him and will come home on the set day.

King James Version, 1611

He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

21

With all her persuasive talk she won him over; with flattering lips she drew him in.

Plain English

With plenty of fair speech she made him give in. With the flattery of her lips she pushed him along.

King James Version, 1611

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

22

He followed her straight away, like an ox going to slaughter, or a fool to the correction of the stocks,

Plain English

He goes after her at once, like an ox goes to the slaughter, or like a fool to the correction of the stocks —

King James Version, 1611

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

23

until an arrow strikes through his liver—like a bird hurrying into a snare, not knowing it will cost him his life.

Plain English

till an arrow strikes through his liver. Like a bird hurrying to the snare, and doesn't know it's for his life.

King James Version, 1611

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

24

So listen to me now, children, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Plain English

So listen to me now, you children, and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

King James Version, 1611

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

25

Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't wander down her paths.

Plain English

Don't let your heart turn aside to her ways. Don't go astray in her paths.

King James Version, 1611

Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

26

She has cast down many wounded; many strong men have been killed by her.

Plain English

Because she's thrown down plenty wounded. Yes, plenty of strong men have been killed by her.

King James Version, 1611

For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

27

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

Plain English

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

King James Version, 1611

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