New American Standard Bible 2020

Proverbs 7

The Lures of the Prostitute

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,5So that they may keep you from an 8adulteress, From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

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

24Now therefore, my sons, 41listen to me, And pay attention to the words of my mouth.25Do not let your heart 42turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths.26For many are the 43victims she has brought to ruin, And 44numerous are all those slaughtered by her.27Her 45house 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 7:6 Judg 5:28 ↩
10. Proverbs 7:6 Song 2:9 ↩
11. Proverbs 7:7 Prov 1:22 ↩
12. Proverbs 7:7 Lit sons ↩
13. Proverbs 7:7 Prov 6:32; 9:4 ↩
14. Proverbs 7:7 Lit heart ↩
15. Proverbs 7:8 Prov 7:12 ↩
16. Proverbs 7:8 Prov 7:27 ↩
17. Proverbs 7:9 Job 24:15 ↩
18. Proverbs 7:9 Lit evening of the day ↩
19. Proverbs 7:9 Lit pupil (of the eye) ↩
20. Proverbs 7:10 Gen 38:14, 15; 1 Tim 2:9 ↩
21. Proverbs 7:11 Prov 9:13 ↩
22. Proverbs 7:11 1 Tim 5:13; Titus 2:5 ↩
23. Proverbs 7:12 Prov 9:14 ↩
24. Proverbs 7:12 Prov 23:28 ↩
25. Proverbs 7:13 Lit She makes bold her face and says ↩
26. Proverbs 7:13 Prov 21:29 ↩
27. Proverbs 7:14 Lit Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me ↩
28. Proverbs 7:14 Lev 7:11 ↩
29. Proverbs 7:14 Lev 7:16 ↩
30. Proverbs 7:16 Prov 31:22 ↩
31. Proverbs 7:16 Is 19:9; Ezek 27:7 ↩
32. Proverbs 7:17 Ps 45:8 ↩
33. Proverbs 7:17 Ex 30:23 ↩
34. Proverbs 7:19 Lit the man ↩
35. Proverbs 7:20 Gen 42:35 ↩
36. Proverbs 7:20 Lit in his hand ↩
37. Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth ↩
38. Proverbs 7:21 Prov 5:3; 6:24 ↩
39. Proverbs 7:22 Or as a stag goes into a trap; as in some ancient versions, Heb is uncertain ↩
40. Proverbs 7:23 Eccl 9:12 ↩
41. Proverbs 7:24 Prov 5:7 ↩
42. Proverbs 7:25 Prov 5:8 ↩
43. Proverbs 7:26 Lit wounded ↩
44. Proverbs 7:26 Prov 9:18 ↩
45. Proverbs 7:27 Prov 2:18; 5:5; 9:18; 1 Cor 6:9, 10; Rev 22:15 ↩

The Lures of the Prostitute

Notes

Commentaries on Proverbs 7