Les Proverbes

Chapître 7

1

My son, keep³ my words, and lay up⁴ my commandments with thee.

2

 Keep³ my commandments, and live;³ and my law as the apple of thine eye.

3

 Bind³ them upon thy fingers, write³ them upon the table of thine heart.

4

 Say³ unto wisdom, Thou [art] my sister; and call⁴ understanding [thy] kinswoman:

5

That they may keep² thee from the strange⁵ woman, from the stranger [which] flattereth⁵² with her words.

6

For at the window of my house I looked⁸ through my casement,

7

And beheld⁴ among the simple ones, I discerned⁴ among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

8

 Passing⁶ through the street near her corner; and he went⁴ the way to her house,

9

In the twilight, in the evening, ⁶¹⁵³ in the black and dark night:

10

And, behold, there met² him a woman [with] the attire of an harlot,⁶ and subtil⁷ of heart.

11

(She [is] loud⁶ and stubborn;⁶ her feet abide⁴ not in her house:

12

 Now [is she] without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait⁴ at every corner.)

13

So she caught⁵² him, and kissed¹ him, [and] with an impudent⁵² face said⁴ unto him,

14

[I have] peace offerings with me; this day have I payed¹⁴ my vows.

15

Therefore came I forth¹ to meet² thee, diligently to seek¹⁵ thy face, and I have found⁴ thee.

16

I have decked¹ my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved [works], with fine linen of Egypt.

17

I have perfumed¹ my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

18

 Come,³ let us take our fill⁴ of love until the morning: let us solace¹⁰¹ ourselves with loves.

19

For the goodman [is] not at home, he is gone¹ a long journey:

20

He hath taken¹ a bag of money with him, [and] will come⁴ home at the day appointed.

21

With her much fair speech she caused him to yield,⁵² with the flattering of her lips she forced⁵⁵ him.

22

He goeth⁶ after her straightway, as an ox goeth⁴ to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

23

Till a dart strike through¹⁷ his liver; as a bird hasteth¹⁵ to the snare, and knoweth¹ not that it [is] for his life.

24

 Hearken³ unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend⁵⁴ to the words of my mouth.

25

Let not thine heart decline⁴ to her ways, go not astray⁴ in her paths.

26

For she hath cast down⁵² many wounded: yea, many strong [men] have been slain⁷ by her.

27

Her house [is] the way to hell, going down⁶ to the chambers of death.