43 Heb “she turned him aside.” This expression means that she persuaded him. This section now begins the description of the capitulation, for the flattering speech is finished.
44 The term לֶקַח (leqakh) was used earlier in Proverbs for wise instruction; now it is used ironically for enticement to sin (see D. W. Thomas, “Textual and Philological Notes on Some Passages in the Book of Proverbs,” 3 [1955]: 280–92).
45 Heb “smooth of her lips”; cf. “smooth lips”; “flattering lips.” The term “lips” is a metonymy of cause representing what she says.
46 The verb means “to impel; to thrust; to banish,” but in this stem in this context “to compel; to force” into some action. The imperfect tense has the nuance of progressive imperfect to parallel the characteristic perfect of the first colon.
47 The participle with “suddenly” gives a more vivid picture, almost as if to say “there he goes.”
48 The present translation follows R. B. Y. Scott (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [], 64). This third colon of the verse would usually be rendered, “fetters to the chastening of a fool” (, , and are all similar). But there is no support that עֶכֶס (’ekhes) means “fetters.” It appears in Isaiah 3:16 as “anklets.” The parallelism here suggests that some animal imagery is required. Thus the ancient versions have “as a dog to the bonds.”

In other versions

With much seductive speech she persuades him;

with her smooth talk she compels him.

All at once he follows her,

as an ox goes to the slaughter,

or as a stag is caught fast

With persuasive words she led him astray;

she seduced him with her smooth talk.

All at once he followed her

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deer stepping into a noose

She seduces him with her persistent pleading;

she lures with her flattering talk.

He follows her impulsively

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deer bounding toward a trap

So she seduced him with her pretty speech

and enticed him with her flattery.

He followed her at once,

like an ox going to the slaughter.

He was like a stag caught in a trap,

She persuades him with the greatness of her teachings;

with her smooth lips she compels him.

He goes after her suddenly;

like an ox to the slaughter he goes,

and like a stag to the instruction of a fool,

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield,

With the flattering of her lips she forced him.

He goeth after her straightway,

As an ox goeth to the slaughter,

Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

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