Proverbs 7:5–27

⁵to keep you from ^lthe forbidden¹ woman,

from ^lthe adulteress² with her smooth words.

⁶For at ^mthe window of my house

I have looked out through my lattice,

⁷and I have seen among ⁿthe simple,

I have perceived among the youths,

a young man ^olacking sense,

⁸passing along the street ^pnear her corner,

taking the road to her house

⁹in ^qthe twilight, in the evening,

at ^rthe time of night and darkness.

¹⁰And behold, the woman meets him,

^sdressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.³

¹¹She is ^tloud and ^uwayward;

^vher feet do not stay at home;

¹²now in the street, now in the market,

and ^wat every corner she ^xlies in wait.

¹³She seizes him and kisses him,

and with ^ybold face she says to him,

¹⁴“I had to ^zoffer sacrifices,⁴

and today I have ^apaid my vows;

¹⁵so now I have come out to meet you,

to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.

¹⁶I have spread my couch with ^bcoverings,

colored linens from ^cEgyptian linen;

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with ^dmyrrh,

aloes, and ^ecinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;

let us delight ourselves with love.

¹⁹For ^fmy husband is not at home;

he has gone on a long journey;

²⁰he took a bag of money with him;

at full moon he will come home.”

²¹With much seductive speech she persuades him;

with ^gher smooth talk she compels him.

²²All at once he follows her,

as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast⁵

²³till an arrow pierces its liver;

as ^ha bird rushes into a snare;

he does not know that it will cost him his life.

²⁴And ⁱnow, O sons, listen to me,

and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;

do not stray into her paths,

²⁶for many a victim has she laid low,

and all her slain are ^ja mighty throng.

²⁷Her house is ^kthe way to Sheol,

going down to the chambers of death.