Proverbs 7 Free Bible Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son, accept what I say and value my instructions.
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Do what I tell you and you will live. Observe my teachings, valuing them as your main focus in life.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Tie them to your fingers; write them in your mind.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Tell wisdom, “You're my sister,” and call insight your best friend.
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 They will protect you from the immoral woman, from the prostitute with her seductive words.
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 One time I looked through the lattice of the window in my house,
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 and I saw among the immature young men one who had no sense at all.
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 He was walking down the street near the corner where she lived and took the road passing her house.
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 It was at dusk in the evening, as the light was fading and the dark night closed in.
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 Then out came a woman to meet him. She was dressed as a prostitute and had deceptive intentions.
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 (She was loud and provocative, never wanting to stay at home.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 One moment she'd be walking the streets, the next she'd be there in the town squares, loitering at every corner.)
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 She grabbed hold of him and kissed him, and with a bold face she told him,
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “I sacrificed my peace offering today, and paid my vows.
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 That's why I came out to meet you. I was looking for you and now I've found you!
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 My bed is made, covered with colorful linens from Egypt.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I've sprinkled perfume on my bed—myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come with me, let's make love until the morning. Let's enjoy one another in our love-making!
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 My husband isn't home; he's gone on a long trip.
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 He took a bag of money with him, and he won't be coming back until the full moon.”
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 She convinced him with all that she said; she seduced him with her smooth talking.
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He followed her right away, like an ox to the slaughter. Like a stag that's caught in a snare
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 until an arrow pierces its liver, like a bird flying into a trap, he's unaware he will pay with his life.
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 listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to what I'm saying.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Don't even think about following her. Don't stray down her road.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 For she has brought down and destroyed a lot of men; she's killed so many.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 Her house leads to the grave—it goes 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)