Chapter 7

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.

Say to wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:

That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house.

In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.

(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,

I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.

Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

For the good-man is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she impelled him.

He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

For she hath cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.

Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.