Proverbs · Bible in Basic English
Proverbs 7 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son, keep my sayings, and let my rules be stored up with you.
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my rules and you will have life; let my teaching be to you as the light of your eyes;
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Let them be fixed to your fingers, and recorded in your heart.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, You are my sister; let knowledge be named your special friend:
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 Looking out from my house, and watching through the window,
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 I saw among the young men one without sense,
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 Walking in the street near the turn of her road, going on the way to her house,
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 At nightfall, in the evening of the day, in the black dark of the night.
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And the woman came out to him, in the dress of a loose woman, with a designing heart;
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 She is full of noise and uncontrolled; her feet keep not in her house.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 Now she is in the street, now in the open spaces, waiting at every turning of the road.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 So she took him by his hand, kissing him, and without a sign of shame she said to him:
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 I have a feast of peace-offerings, for today my oaths have been effected.
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 So I came out in the hope of meeting you, looking for you with care, and now I have you.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 My bed is covered with cushions of needlework, with coloured cloths of the cotton thread of Egypt;
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have made my bed sweet with perfumes and spices.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our pleasure in love till the morning, having joy in love's delights.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For the master of the house is away on a long journey:
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him; he is coming back at the full moon.
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Like a bird falling into a net; with no thought that his life is in danger, till an arrow goes into his side.
23 Until an arrow strikes through his liver, as a bird hurries to the snare, and doesn’t know that it will cost his life.
24 So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not your heart be turned to her ways, do not go wandering in her footsteps.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 For those wounded and made low by her are great in number; and all those who have come to their death through her are a great army.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 Her house is the way to the underworld, going down to the rooms of death.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the rooms of death.
Cross references (25)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 1:8; Revelation 1:3; Luke 11:28; Proverbs 2:1–7; John 14:23
- 2 Psalm 17:8; Leviticus 18:5; Proverbs 4:4; 1 John 2:3–4; John 14:21
- 3 Deuteronomy 11:18–20; Proverbs 3:3; Deuteronomy 6:8–9; Jeremiah 31:33; 2 Corinthians 3:3
- 4 Proverbs 2:2–4; Proverbs 4:6–8; Job 17:14; Song of Songs 8:1; Matthew 12:49–50
- 5 Proverbs 2:16; Proverbs 6:24; Proverbs 5:3
- 6 Genesis 26:8; Judges 5:28; 2 Samuel 6:16
- 7 Proverbs 6:32; Proverbs 1:22; Psalm 119:130; Proverbs 9:4; Matthew 15:16
- 8 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 6:18; Proverbs 5:8; Proverbs 4:14–15; Jude 23
- 9 Romans 13:12–14; Job 24:13–15; Genesis 39:11; Ephesians 5:11; Exodus 12:6
- 10 2 Corinthians 11:2–3; Isaiah 3:16–24; 1 Timothy 2:9; 2 Kings 9:30; Jeremiah 4:30
- 11 Proverbs 9:13; Titus 2:5; 1 Timothy 5:13–14; Proverbs 31:10–31; Proverbs 25:24
- 12 Proverbs 23:28; Proverbs 9:14; Revelation 18:3; Jeremiah 2:33; Jeremiah 2:36
- 13 Numbers 25:6–8; Genesis 39:12; Ezekiel 16:33; Ezekiel 2:4; Proverbs 21:29
- 14 Proverbs 21:27; Leviticus 7:11; Proverbs 17:1; John 18:28; Proverbs 15:8
- 16 Isaiah 19:9; Ezekiel 27:7; Revelation 2:22; Proverbs 31:22; 1 Kings 10:28
- 17 Psalm 45:8; Isaiah 57:7–9; Song of Songs 4:13–14; Exodus 30:23; Song of Songs 3:6
- 19 Matthew 20:11; Luke 12:45–46; Mark 13:34–36; Luke 12:39; Matthew 24:48
- 20 2 Chronicles 2:4
- 21 Proverbs 5:3; Proverbs 7:5; 2 Kings 4:8; Luke 24:29; Psalm 12:2
- 22 Job 13:27; Acts 16:24; Jeremiah 20:2; Acts 14:13
- 23 Ecclesiastes 9:12; Proverbs 9:18; Proverbs 1:17; Numbers 25:8–9
- 24 Proverbs 5:7; Proverbs 4:1; 1 John 2:1; Proverbs 8:32–33; Galatians 4:19
- 25 Proverbs 5:8; Isaiah 53:6; Proverbs 6:25; Matthew 5:28; Psalm 119:176
- 26 Nehemiah 13:26; 1 Peter 2:11; 1 Corinthians 10:8; Proverbs 6:33; 1 Kings 11:1–2
- 27 Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 9:18; Revelation 22:15; Proverbs 2:18–19; Ecclesiastes 7:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Take heed then, brethren, and hold fast the traditions which ye now receive, and write them an the table of your heart.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)