New American Standard Bible 1995

Proverbs 7

The Wiles of the Harlot

1My son, 1keep my words And treasure my commandments within you.2 2Keep my commandments and live, And my 3teaching 4as the 5apple of your eye.3 6Bind them on your fingers; 7Write them on the tablet of your heart.4Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call understanding your intimate friend;5That they may keep you from an 8adulteress, From the foreigner who 9flatters with her words.

6For 10at the window of my house I looked out 11through my lattice,7And I saw among the 12 13naive, And discerned among the 14youths A young man 15lacking 16sense,8Passing through the street near 17her corner; And he 18takes the way to 19her house,9In the 20twilight, in the 21evening, In the 22middle of the night and in the darkness.10And behold, a woman comes to meet him, 23Dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart.11She is 24boisterous and rebellious, Her 25feet do not remain at home;12She is now in the streets, now 26in the squares, And 27lurks by every corner.13So she seizes him and kisses him 28And with a 29brazen face she says to him:14“30I was due to offer 31peace offerings; Today I have 32paid my vows.15Therefore I have come out to meet you, To seek your presence earnestly, and I have found you.16I have spread my couch with 33coverings, With colored 34linens of Egypt.17I have sprinkled my bed With 35myrrh, aloes and 36cinnamon.18Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning; Let us delight ourselves with caresses.19For 37my husband is not at home, He has gone on a long journey;20He has taken a 38bag of money 39with him, At the full moon he will come home.”21With her many persuasions she entices him; With her 40 41flattering lips she seduces him.22Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as 42one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,23Until an arrow pierces through his liver; As a 43bird hastens to the snare, So he does not know that it will cost him his life.

24Now therefore, my sons, 44listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.25Do not let your heart 45turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths.26For many are the 46victims she has cast down, And 47numerous are all her slain.27Her 48house is the way to Sheol, Descending to the chambers of death.

Notes

1. Proverbs 7:1 Prov 2:1; 6:20 ↩
2. Proverbs 7:2 Prov 4:4 ↩
3. Proverbs 7:2 Or law ↩
4. Proverbs 7:2 Deut 32:10; Ps 17:8; Zech 2:8 ↩
5. Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil ↩
6. Proverbs 7:3 Deut 6:8; 11:18; Prov 6:21 ↩
7. Proverbs 7:3 Prov 3:3 ↩
8. Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman ↩
9. Proverbs 7:5 Lit is smooth ↩
10. Proverbs 7:6 Judg 5:28 ↩
11. Proverbs 7:6 Song 2:9 ↩
12. Proverbs 7:7 Lit simple ones ↩
13. Proverbs 7:7 Prov 1:22 ↩
14. Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons ↩
15. Proverbs 7:7 Prov 6:32; 9:4 ↩
16. Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart ↩
17. Proverbs 7:8 Prov 7:12 ↩
18. Proverbs 7:8 Lit steps ↩
19. Proverbs 7:8 Prov 7:27 ↩
20. Proverbs 7:9 Job 24:15 ↩
21. Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day ↩
22. Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye) ↩
23. Proverbs 7:10 Gen 38:14, 15; 1 Tim 2:9 ↩
24. Proverbs 7:11 Prov 9:13 ↩
25. Proverbs 7:11 1 Tim 5:13; Titus 2:5 ↩
26. Proverbs 7:12 Prov 9:14 ↩
27. Proverbs 7:12 Prov 23:28 ↩
28. Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says ↩
29. Proverbs 7:13 Prov 21:29 ↩
30. Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me ↩
31. Proverbs 7:14 Lev 7:11 ↩
32. Proverbs 7:14 Lev 7:16 ↩
33. Proverbs 7:16 Prov 31:22 ↩
34. Proverbs 7:16 Is 19:9; Ezek 27:7 ↩
35. Proverbs 7:17 Ps 45:8 ↩
36. Proverbs 7:17 Ex 30:23 ↩
37. Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man ↩
38. Proverbs 7:20 Gen 42:35 ↩
39. Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand ↩
40. Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth ↩
41. Proverbs 7:21 Prov 5:3; 6:24 ↩
42. Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; so some ancient versions ↩
43. Proverbs 7:23 Eccl 9:12 ↩
44. Proverbs 7:24 Prov 5:7 ↩
45. Proverbs 7:25 Prov 5:8 ↩
46. Proverbs 7:26 Lit mortally wounded ↩
47. Proverbs 7:26 Prov 9:18 ↩
48. Proverbs 7:27 Prov 2:18; 5:5; 9:18; 1 Cor 6:9, 10; Rev 22:15 ↩

The Wiles of the Harlot

Notes

Commentaries on Proverbs 7