(KJV) Proverbs 7¹

⥃Warnings about the Adulteress

[1] My son², keep³ my words, and lay⁴ up my commandments with thee. [2] Keep⁵ my commandments, and live; and my law as the⁶ apple of thine eye. [3] Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.⁷ [4] Say⁸ unto wisdom, Thou⁹ [art] my sister; and call understanding [thy] kinswoman: [5] That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words.¹⁰

[6] For at the¹¹ window of my house I looked through my casement¹², [7] And beheld among the simple¹³ ones, I discerned among the youths¹⁴, a young man void¹⁵ of understanding, [8] Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,¹⁶ [9] In the twilight¹⁷, in the evening¹⁸, in the black and dark night: [10] And, behold, there met him a woman [with] the attire¹⁹ of an harlot, and subtil²⁰ of heart. [11] (She [is] loud²¹ and stubborn; her feet²² abide not in her house: [12] Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)²³ [13] So she²⁴ caught him, and kissed him, [and] with an impudent face said²⁵ unto him, [14] [I have] peace offerings with me²⁶; this²⁷ day have I payed my vows. [15] Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. [16] I have decked²⁸ my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine²⁹ linen of Egypt. [17] I have perfumed³⁰ my bed with³¹ myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. [18] Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. [19] For the³² goodman³³ [is] not at home, he is gone a long journey: [20] He hath taken a bag of money with him³⁴, [and] will come home at the day appointed³⁵. [21] With her³⁶ much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced³⁷ him. [22] He goeth after her straightway³⁸, as a³⁹n⁴⁰ ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction⁴¹ of the stocks; [23] Till a dart⁴² strike through his liver; as a bird⁴³ hasteth to the snare, and knoweth⁴⁴ not that it [is] for his life.

[24] Hearken unto⁴⁵ me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. [25] Let not thine⁴⁶ heart decline to her ways, go⁴⁷ not astray in her paths. [26] For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain by her.⁴⁸ [27] Her house [is] the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. ⁴⁹