Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 7 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My son! Keep my sayings, || And lay up my commands with you.
1 My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.
2 Keep my commands, and live, || And my law as the pupil of your eye.
2 Keep my commandments and live! Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers, || Write them on the tablet of your heart.
3 Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You [are] my sister.” And cry to understanding, “Relative!”
4 Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,
5 To preserve you from a strange woman, || From a stranger who has made her sayings smooth.
5 that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.
6 For at a window of my house, || I have looked out through my casement,
6 For at the window of my house, I looked out through my lattice.
7 And I see among the simple ones, || I discern among the sons, || A young man lacking understanding,
7 I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing on in the street, near her corner, || And the way [to] her house he steps,
8 passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight—in the evening of day, || In the darkness of night and blackness.
9 in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the middle of the night and in the darkness.
10 And behold, a woman to meet him—(A harlot’s dress, and watchful of heart,
10 Behold, there a woman met him with the attire of a prostitute, and with crafty intent.
11 She [is] noisy, and stubborn, her feet do not rest in her house.
11 She is loud and defiant. Her feet don’t stay in her house.
12 Now in an out-place, now in broad places, || And she lies in wait near every corner)—
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the squares, and lurking at every corner.
13 And she laid hold on him and kissed him, || She has hardened her face and says to him,
13 So she caught him, and kissed him. With an impudent face she said to him:
14 “Sacrifices of peace-offerings [are] by me, || Today I have completed my vows.
14 “Sacrifices of peace offerings are with me. Today I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore I have come forth to meet you, || To earnestly seek your face, and I find you.
15 Therefore I came out to meet you, to diligently seek your face, and I have found you.
16 I decked my bed [with] ornamental coverings, || Carved works—cotton of Egypt.
16 I have spread my couch with carpets of tapestry, with striped cloths of the yarn of Egypt.
17 I sprinkled my bed [with] myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, we are filled [with] love until the morning, || We delight ourselves in loves.
18 Come, let’s take our fill of loving until the morning. Let’s solace ourselves with loving.
19 For the man is not in his house, || He has gone 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 in his hand, || At the day of the new moon he comes to his house.”
20 He has taken a bag of money with him. He will come home at the full moon.”
21 She turns him aside with the abundance of her speech, || She forces him with the flattery of her lips.
21 With persuasive words, she led him astray. With the flattering of her lips, she seduced him.
22 He is going after her straight away, he comes as an ox to the slaughter, || And as a chain to the discipline of a fool,
22 He followed her immediately, as an ox goes to the slaughter, as a fool stepping into a noose.
23 Until an arrow splits his liver, || As a bird has hurried to a snare, || And has not known that it [is] for its 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 And now, you sons, listen to me, || And give attention to sayings of my mouth.
24 Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways, || Do not wander in her paths,
25 Don’t let your heart turn to her ways. Don’t go astray in her paths,
26 For many [are] the wounded she caused to fall, || And mighty [are] all her slain ones.
26 for she has thrown down many wounded. Yes, all her slain are a mighty army.
27 The ways of Sheol—her house, || Going down to inner 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)