Chapter 7

  My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.  

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  Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thy eye.  

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  Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thy heart.  

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  Say to wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:  

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  That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.  

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

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  And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,  

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  Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house.  

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

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  And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtil of heart.  

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  (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:  

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

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  So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said to him,  

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  I have peace-offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.  

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  Therefore I came forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.  

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  I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.  

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

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  Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.  

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  For the good-man is not at home, he is gone a long journey:  

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  He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.  

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

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  He goeth after her quickly, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;  

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  Till a dart striketh through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.  

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  Now therefore hearken to me, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.  

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  Let not thy heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.  

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  For she hath cast down many wounded: yes, many strong men have been slain by her.  

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  Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.  

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