Proverbs 7:6–27

A Story of Seduction

⁶At the window of my house

I looked through my lattice. ^r

⁷I saw among the inexperienced, ^s

I noticed among the youths,

a young man lacking sense.

⁸Crossing the street near her corner,

he strolled down the road to her house

⁹at twilight, in the evening,

in the dark of the night. ^t

¹⁰A woman came to meet him

dressed like a prostitute, ^u

having a hidden agenda. ^v

¹¹She is loud and defiant; ^w

her feet do not stay at home. ^x

¹²Now in the street, now in the squares, ^y

she lurks at every corner. ^z

¹³She grabs him and kisses him;

she brazenly says ^ato him,

¹⁴“I’ve made fellowship offerings; ^b

today I’ve fulfilled my vows. ^c

¹⁵So I came out to meet you,

to search for you, and I’ve found you.

¹⁶I’ve spread coverings on my bed ^d—

richly colored linen from Egypt. ^e

¹⁷I’ve perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. ^f

¹⁸Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. ^g

Let’s feast on each other’s love!

¹⁹My husband isn’t home;

he went on a long journey.

²⁰He took a bag of money with him

and will come home at the time of the full moon.”

²¹She seduces him with her persistent pleading;

she lures with her flattering ^htalk.

²²He follows her impulsively

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deer bounding toward a trap ⁱ

²³until an arrow pierces its ^jliver, ^k

like a bird darting into a snare ^l—

he doesn’t know it will cost him his life.

²⁴Now, my sons, listen to me,

and pay attention to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Don’t let your heart turn aside to her ways;

don’t stray onto her paths. ^m

²⁶For she has brought many down to death;

her victims are countless. ⁿ

²⁷Her house is the road to Sheol,

descending to the chambers of death. ^o