Proverbs 7

beni shemor amaray umitsvotay titspon ittakh

My son, heed my words; And store up my commandments with you.

shemor mitsvotay vekhyeh vetorati ke'ishon enekha

Keep my commandments and live, My teaching, as the apple of your eye—

qoshrem al-etsbe'otekha kotvem al-luakh libbekha

Bind them on your fingers, Write them on the tablet of your mind.

emor lakhokhmah akhoti at umoda labbinah tiqra

Say to Wisdom, “You are my sister,” And call Understanding a kinswoman.

lishmorkha me'isha zarah minnokhriyyah amareha hekheliqah

She will guard you from a forbidden woman; From an alien woman whose talk is smooth.

ki bekhallon beti be'ad eshnabbi nishqafeti

From the window of my house, Through my lattice, I looked out

va'ere vappetayim avinah vabbanim na'ar khasar-lev

And saw among the simple, Noticed among the youths, A young man devoid of sense.

over bashuq etsel pinnah vederekh betah yitsad

He was crossing the street near her corner, Walking toward her house

beneshef-be'erev yom be'ishon laylah va'afelah

In the dusk of evening, In the dark hours of night.

vehinneh isha liqrato shit zonah unetsurat lev

A woman comes toward him Dressed like a streetwalker, with set purpose.

homiyyah hi vesoraret bevetah lo-yishkenu ragleha

She is bustling and restive; She is never at home.

pa'am bakhuts pa'am barekhovot ve'etsel kol-pinnah te'erov

Now in the street, now in the square, She lurks at every corner.

vehekheziqah bo venasheqah lo he'ezah faneha vattomar lo

She lays hold of him and kisses him. Brazenly she says to him,

zivkhe shelamim alay hayyom shillamti nedaray

“I had to make a sacrifice of well-being; Today I fulfilled my vows.

al-ken yatsati liqratekha leshakher panekha va'emtsa'ekka

Therefore I have come out to you, Seeking you, and have found you.

marvaddim ravadti arsi khatuvot etun mitsrayim

I have decked my couch with covers Of dyed Egyptian linen;

nafti mishkavi mor ahalim veqinnamon

I have sprinkled my bed With myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

lekhah nirveh dodim ad-habboqer nitallesah bo'ohavim

Let us drink our fill of love till morning; Let us delight in amorous embrace.

ki en ha'ish beveto halakh bederekh merakhoq

For the man of the house is away; He is off on a distant journey.

tseror-hakkesef laqakh beyado leyom hakkese yavo veto

He took his bag of money with him And will return only at mid-month.”

hittattu berov liqkhah bekheleq sefateha taddikhennu

She sways him with her eloquence, Turns him aside with her smooth talk.

holekh akhareha pitom keshor el-tevakh yavo ukhe'ekhes el-musar evil

Thoughtlessly he follows her, Like an ox going to the slaughter, Like a fool to the stocks for punishment—

ad yefallakh khets kevedo kemaher tsippor el-pakh velo-yada ki-venafsho hu

Until the arrow pierces his liver. He is like a bird rushing into a trap, Not knowing his life is at stake.

ve'attah vanim shimu-li vehaqshivu le'imre-fi

Now, sons, listen to me; Pay attention to my words;

al-yest el-derakheha libbekha al-teta bintivoteha

Let your mind not wander down her ways; Do not stray onto her paths.

ki-rabbim khalalim hippilah va'atsumim kol-harugeha

For many are those she has struck dead, And numerous are her victims.

darkhe she'ol betah yoredot el-khadre-mavet

Her house is a highway to Sheol Leading down to Death’s inner chambers.