Admonition to Avoid the Wiles of the Adulteress76
7:1 My child,1
keep my words
and treasure up my commands within you.2
7:2 Keep my commands3
and you will live,4
and my instruction as the apple of your eye.5
7:3 Bind them on your fingers,
write them on the tablet of your heart.6
7:4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”7
And call understanding a kinsman,”
7:5 so that they may keep you8
from the adulteress9
woman,
from the foreign woman10
who flatters with her words.11
7:6 For at the window of my house
through my window-lattice I looked out
7:7 and I saw among the simple,
I discerned among the youths,12
a young man13
lacking in understanding.14
7:8 He was passing by in the street near her corner,
he was making his way15
along the road to her house16
7:9 in the twilight, the evening of the day,
in the darkening17
of the night.
7:10 And there was18
a woman to meet him,
in the clothing19
of a prostitute and with secret intent.20
7:11 She is loud and rebellious,
her feet21
do not remain22
at home;
7:12 at one time outside, at another23
in the wide plazas,
and by every corner she lies in wait.
7:13 So she grabbed him and kissed him,
and with a bold expression24
she said to him,
7:14 “I have25
peace offerings,26
today I have fulfilled my vows.
7:15 That is why I came out to meet you,
to look for you,27
and I found you!
7:16 I have spread my bed with spreads,28
with richly colored fabric29
from Egypt.
7:17 I have perfumed my bed
with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
7:18 Come, let’s drink deeply30
of love31
until the morning,
let’s delight ourselves32
with love.
7:19 For my husband33
is not at home;34
he has gone on a journey of some distance.
7:20 He has taken a bag of money with him,35
he will come home at the full moon.”36
7:21 She persuaded him37
with persuasive words;38
with her smooth speech39
she compelled him.40
7:22 Suddenly he goes41
after her
like an ox that goes to the slaughter,
like a stage prancing into captivity42
7:23 till an arrow pierces his liver—43
like a bird hurrying into a trap;
and he does not know that it is for his life.44
7:24 So now, sons,45
listen to me;
and pay attention to the words of my mouth.
7:25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
do not wander into her pathways,
7:26 for she has brought down46
many fatally wounded;
and all those slain by her are many.47
7:27 Her house is the way to the grave,48
going down49
to the chambers50
of death.