Proverbs 7

בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ׃

My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.

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

שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃

Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

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

קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃

Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.

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

אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא׃

Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,

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

לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃

that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.

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

כִּ֭י בְּחַלּ֣וֹן בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃

For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.

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

וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־לֵֽב׃

I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,

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

עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד׃

crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,

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

בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־בְּעֶ֥רֶב י֑וֹם בְּאִישׁ֥וֹן לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃

at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.

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

וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאת֑וֹ שִׁ֥ית ז֝וֹנָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב׃

Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.

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

הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא־יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃

She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.

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

פַּ֤עַם ׀ בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל־פִּנָּ֣ה תֶאֱרֹֽב׃

Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.

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

וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בּ֭וֹ וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־לּ֑וֹ הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֽוֹ׃

She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:

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

זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יּ֗וֹם שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי׃

“I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.

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

עַל־כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃

So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.

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

מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻב֗וֹת אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם׃

I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.

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

נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֽוֹן׃

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

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

לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃

Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!

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

כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵית֑וֹ הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֽוֹק׃

For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.

For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

צְֽרוֹר־הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָד֑וֹ לְי֥וֹם הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֽוֹ׃

He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”

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

הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃

With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.

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

ה֤וֹלֵ֥ךְ אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם כְּ֭שׁוֹר אֶל־טָ֣בַח יָב֑וֹא וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס אֶל־מוּסַ֥ר אֱוִֽיל׃

He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,

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

עַ֤ד יְפַלַּ֪ח חֵ֡ץ כְּֽבֵד֗וֹ כְּמַהֵ֣ר צִפּ֣וֹר אֶל־פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־יָ֝דַ֗ע כִּֽי־בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹ הֽוּא׃

until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.

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

וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.

Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

אַל־יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל־דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ אַל־תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ׃

Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.

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

כִּֽי־רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃

For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.

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

דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְד֗וֹת אֶל־חַדְרֵי־מָֽוֶת׃

Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.

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