Proverbs 7 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commandments and live, and my teaching as the apple of thine eye.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say unto wisdom: 'Thou art my sister', and call understanding thy kinswoman;
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words.
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked forth through my lattice;
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 And I beheld among the thoughtless ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner, and he went the way to her house;
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness.
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and wily of heart.
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 She is riotous and rebellious, her feet abide not in her house;
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the broad places, and lieth in wait at every corner.
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face she said unto him:
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 'Sacrifices of peace-offerings were due from me; this day have I paid my vows.
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I have decked my couch with coverlets, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with loves.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a long journey;
19 For my husband isn’t at home. He has gone on a long journey.
20 He hath taken the bag of money with him; he will come home 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 much fair speech she causeth him to yield, with the blandishment of her lips she enticeth him away.
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox that goeth to the slaughter, or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool;
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Till an arrow strike through his liver; as a bird hasteneth to the snare — and knoweth not that it is at the cost of 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 Now therefore, O ye children, hearken unto me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, a mighty host are all her slain.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 Her house is the way to the nether-world, going down to the chambers 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)