The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 7משלי 7

בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן אִתָּֽךְ

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

שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֶֽיךָ

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

קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ

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

אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אֲחֹ֣תִי אָ֑תְּ וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע לַבִּינָ֥ה תִקְרָֽא

Say to wisdom, You my sister; and call understanding kinswoman:

לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה זָרָ֑ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ הֶחֱלִֽיקָה

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

כִּ֭י בְּחַלּ֣וֹן בֵּיתִ֑י בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי

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

וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר לֵֽב

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

עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ יִצְעָֽד

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

בְּנֶֽשֶׁף בְּעֶ֥רֶב י֑וֹם בְּאִישׁ֥וֹן לַ֝֗יְלָה וַאֲפֵלָֽה

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

וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאת֑וֹ שִׁ֥ית ז֝וֹנָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב

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

הֹמִיָּ֣ה הִ֣יא וְסֹרָ֑רֶת בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ לֹא יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ רַגְלֶֽיהָ

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

פַּ֤עַם בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל פִּנָּ֣ה תֶאֱרֹֽב

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

וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בּ֭וֹ וְנָ֣שְׁקָה לּ֑וֹ הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֽוֹ

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

זִבְחֵ֣י שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י הַ֝יּ֗וֹם שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי

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

עַל כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ

Therefore came I forth to meet you, diligently to seek your face, and I have found you.

מַ֭רְבַדִּים רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י חֲ֝טֻב֗וֹת אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם

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

נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֽוֹן

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 until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין הָאִ֣ישׁ בְּבֵית֑וֹ הָ֝לַ֗ךְ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ מֵרָחֽוֹק

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

צְֽרוֹר הַ֭כֶּסֶף לָקַ֣ח בְּיָד֑וֹ לְי֥וֹם הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֽוֹ

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

הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ

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 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

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

וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי פִֽי

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

אַל יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ לִבֶּ֑ךָ אַל תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ

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

כִּֽי רַבִּ֣ים חֲלָלִ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ

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

דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל בֵּיתָ֑הּ יֹ֝רְד֗וֹת אֶל חַדְרֵי מָֽוֶת

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