Proverbs 7:6–27

The Immoral Woman

⁶Once I was looking out of the window of my house, ⁷and I saw many inexperienced young men, but noticed one foolish fellow in particular. ⁸He was walking along the street near the corner where a certain woman lived. He was passing near her house ⁹in the evening after it was dark. ¹⁰And then she met him; she was dressed like a prostitute and was making plans. ¹¹She was a bold and shameless woman who always walked the streets ¹²or stood waiting at a corner, sometimes in the streets, sometimes in the market place. ¹³She threw her arms round the young man, kissed him, looked him straight in the eye, and said, ¹⁴“I made my offerings today and have the meat from the sacrifices. ¹⁵So I came out looking for you. I wanted to find you, and here you are! ¹⁶I’ve covered my bed with sheets of coloured linen from Egypt. ¹⁷I’ve perfumed it with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ¹⁸Come on! Let’s make love all night long. We’ll be happy in each other’s arms. ¹⁹My husband isn’t at home. He’s gone away on a long journey. ²⁰He took plenty of money with him and won’t be back for two weeks.” ²¹So she tempted him with her charms, and he gave in to her smooth talk. ²²Suddenly he was going with her like an ox on the way to be slaughtered, like a deer prancing into a trap^{f 23}where an arrow would pierce its heart. He was like a bird going into a net—he did not know that his life was in danger.

²⁴Now then, my sons, listen to me. Pay attention to what I say. ²⁵Do not let such a woman win your heart; don’t go wandering after her. ²⁶She has been the ruin of many men and caused the death of too many to count. ²⁷If you go to her house, you are on the way to the world of the dead. It is a short cut to death.