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7. Warning Against the Adulteress

¹ My son, keep my words
   and store up my commands within you.
² Keep my commands and you will live;
   guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
³ Bind them on your fingers;
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
   and to insight, “You are my relative.”
⁵ They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
   from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

    ⁶ At the window of my house
   I looked down through the lattice.
⁷ I saw among the simple,
   I noticed among the young men,
   a youth who had no sense.
⁸ He was going down the street near her corner,
   walking along in the direction of her house
⁹ at twilight, as the day was fading,
   as the dark of night set in.

    ¹⁰ Then out came a woman to meet him,
   dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
¹¹ (She is unruly and defiant,
   her feet never stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the squares,
   at every corner she lurks.)
¹³ She took hold of him and kissed him
   and with a brazen face she said:

    ¹⁴ “Today I fulfilled my vows,
   and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.
¹⁵ So I came out to meet you;
   I looked for you and have found you!
¹⁶ I have covered my bed
   with colored linens from Egypt.
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed
   with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
   let’s enjoy ourselves with love!
¹⁹ My husband is not at home;
   he has gone on a long journey.
²⁰ He took his purse filled with money
   and will not be home till full moon.”

    ²¹ With persuasive words she led him astray;
   she seduced him with her smooth talk.
²² All at once he followed her
   like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer Syriac (see also Septuagint); Hebrew fool stepping into a noose The meaning of the Hebrew for this line is uncertain.
    ²³ till an arrow pierces his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
   little knowing it will cost him his life.

    ²⁴ Now then, my sons, listen to me;
   pay attention to what I say.
²⁵ Do not let your heart turn to her ways
   or stray into her paths.
²⁶ Many are the victims she has brought down;
   her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷ Her house is a highway to the grave,
   leading down to the chambers of death.