Warnings about the Adulteress 1 CPDV My son, guard my words and conceal my precepts within you. BSB BSB: My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
2 CPDV Son, preserve my commandments, and you shall live. And keep my law as the pupil of your eye. BSB BSB: Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
3 CPDV Bind it with your fingers; write it on the tablets of your heart. BSB BSB: Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 CPDV Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call prudence your friend. BSB BSB: Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
5 CPDV So may she guard you from the woman who is an outsider, and from the stranger who sweetens her words. BSB BSB: that they may keep you from the adulteress, from the stranger with seductive words.
6 CPDV For I gaze from the window of my house, through the lattice, BSB BSB: For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
7 CPDV and I see little ones. I consider a frenzied youth, BSB BSB: I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
8 CPDV who crosses the street at the corner and close to the way of that house. BSB BSB: crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
9 CPDV He steps into shadows, as day becomes evening, into the darkness and gloom of the night. BSB BSB: at twilight, as the day was fading into the dark of the night.
10 CPDV And behold, a woman meets him, dressed like a harlot, prepared to captivate souls: chattering and rambling, BSB BSB: Then a woman came out to meet him, with the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
11 CPDV unwilling to bear silence, unable to keep her feet at home, BSB BSB: She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
12 CPDV now outside, now in the streets, now lying in ambush near the corners. BSB BSB: Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
13 CPDV And overtaking the youth, she kisses him, and with a provocative face, she flatters him, saying: BSB BSB: She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly says to him:
14 CPDV “I vowed sacrifices for well-being. Today I have repaid my vows. BSB BSB: “I have made my peace offerings; today I have paid my vows.
15 CPDV Because of this, I have gone out to meet you, desiring to see you, and I have found you. BSB BSB: So I came out to meet you; I sought you, and I have found you.
16 CPDV I have woven my bed with cords. I have strewn it with embroidered tapestries from Egypt. BSB BSB: I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
17 CPDV I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloe, and cinnamon. BSB BSB: I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18 CPDV Come, let us be inebriated in abundance, and let us delight in the embraces of desire, until the day begins to dawn. BSB BSB: Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
19 CPDV For my husband is not in his house. He has gone away on a very long journey. BSB BSB: For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
20 CPDV He took with him a bag of money. He will return to his house on the day of the full moon.” BSB BSB: He took with him a bag of money and will not return till the moon is full.”
21 CPDV She enmeshed him with many words, and she drew him forward with the flattery of her lips. BSB BSB: With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
22 CPDV Immediately, he follows her, like an ox being led to the sacrifice, and like a lamb acting lasciviously, and not knowing that he is being drawn foolishly into chains, BSB BSB: He follows her on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
23 CPDV until the arrow pierces his liver. It is just as if a bird were to hurry into the snare. And he does not know that his actions endanger his own soul. BSB BSB: until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare—not knowing it will cost him his life.
24 CPDV Therefore, my son, hear me now, and attend to the words of my mouth. BSB BSB: Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 CPDV Do not let your mind be pulled into her ways. And do not be deceived by her paths. BSB BSB: Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
26 CPDV For she has tossed aside many wounded, and some of those who were very strong have been slain by her. BSB BSB: For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
27 CPDV Her household is the way to Hell, reaching even to the inner places of death. BSB BSB: Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.