Proverbs 7:6–27

The Crafty Harlot

⁶For at the window of my house

I looked through my lattice,

⁷And saw among the simple,

I perceived among the ¹youths,

A young man ^fdevoid ²of understanding,

⁸Passing along the street near her corner;

And he took the path to her house

^9gIn the twilight, in the evening,

In the black and dark night.

¹⁰And there a woman met him,

With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.

^11hShe was loud and rebellious,

ⁱHer feet would not stay at home.

¹²At times she was outside, at times in the open square,

Lurking at every corner.

¹³So she caught him and kissed him;

With an ³impudent face she said to him:

¹⁴“I have peace offerings with me;

Today I have paid my vows.

¹⁵So I came out to meet you,

Diligently to seek your face,

And I have found you.

¹⁶I have spread my bed with tapestry,

Colored coverings of ^jEgyptian linen.

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed

With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

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

Let us delight ourselves with love.

¹⁹For ⁴my husband is not at home;

He has gone on a long journey;

²⁰He has taken a bag of money ⁵with him,

And will come home ⁶on the appointed day.”

²¹⁷With ^kher enticing speech she caused him to yield,

^lWith her flattering lips she ⁸seduced him.

²²Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,

Or ⁹as a fool to the correction of the ¹stocks,

²³Till an arrow struck his liver.

^mAs a bird hastens to the snare,

He did not know it ²would cost his life.

²⁴Now therefore, listen to me, my children;

Pay attention to the words of my mouth:

²⁵Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,

Do not stray into her paths;

²⁶For she has cast down many wounded,

And ⁿall who were slain by her were strong men.

^27oHer house is the way to ³hell,

Descending to the chambers of death.