2 a Keep my commands and live,
b And my law as the apple of your eye.
‡
3 a Bind them on your fingers;
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
‡
4 Say to wisdom, “You
are my sister,”
And call understanding
your nearest kin,
5 a That they may keep you from the immoral woman,
From the seductress
who flatters with her words.
‡
The Crafty Harlot
6 For at the window of my house
I looked through my lattice,
7 And saw among the simple,
I perceived among the
1 youths,
A young man
a devoid of understanding,
‡
8 Passing along the street near her corner;
And he took the path to her house
9 a In the twilight, in the evening,
In the black and dark night.
‡
10 And there a woman met him,
With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.
11 a She
was loud and rebellious,
b Her feet would not stay at home.
‡
12 At times
she was outside, at times in the open square,
Lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him and kissed him;
With an
1 impudent face she said to him:
‡
14 “
I have peace offerings with me;
Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out to meet you,
Diligently to seek your face,
And I have found you.
16 I have spread my bed with tapestry,
Colored coverings of
a Egyptian linen.
‡
17 I have perfumed my bed
With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until morning;
Let us delight ourselves with love.
19 For
1 my husband
is not at home;
He has gone on a long journey;
‡
20 He has taken a bag of money
1 with him,
And will come home
1 on the appointed day.”
‡
21 With
a her enticing speech she caused him to yield,
b With her flattering lips she
1 seduced him.
‡
22 Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter,
Or
1 as a fool to the correction of the
2 stocks,
‡
23 Till an arrow struck his liver.
a As a bird hastens to the snare,
He did not know it
1 would cost his life.
‡
24 Now therefore, listen to me,
my children;
Pay attention to the words of my mouth:
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways,
Do not stray into her paths;
26 For she has cast down many wounded,
And
a all who were slain by her were strong
men. ‡
27 a Her house
is the way to
1 hell,
Descending to the chambers of death.
‡
New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
