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Chapter 7
Warnings about the Adulteress
1
My son, keep my words and treasure my commandments within you.
𐤁𐤍𐤉 𐤔𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤕𐤑𐤐𐤍 𐤅𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤀𐤕𐤊
בְּ֭נִי שְׁמֹ֣ר אֲמָרָ֑י תִּצְפֹּ֥ן וּ֝מִצְוֺתַ֗י אִתָּֽךְ׃ bə·nî šə·mōr ’ă·mā·rāy tiṣ·pōn ū·miṣ·wō·ṯay ’it·tāḵ — WLC · 1
2
Keep my commandments and live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
𐤔𐤌𐤓 𐤌𐤑𐤅𐤕𐤉 𐤅𐤇𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤅𐤓𐤕𐤉 𐤊𐤀𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤍 𐤏𐤉𐤍𐤉𐤊
שְׁמֹ֣ר מִצְוֺתַ֣י וֶחְיֵ֑ה וְ֝תוֹרָתִ֗י כְּאִישׁ֥וֹן עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ šə·mōr miṣ·wō·ṯay weḥ·yêh wə·ṯō·w·rā·ṯî kə·’î·šō·wn ‘ê·ne·ḵā — WLC · 2
3
Tie them to your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
𐤒𐤔𐤓𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤀𐤑𐤁𐤏𐤕𐤉𐤊 𐤊𐤕𐤁𐤌 𐤏𐤋 𐤋𐤅𐤇 𐤋𐤁𐤊
קָשְׁרֵ֥ם עַל־ אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ כָּ֝תְבֵ֗ם עַל־ ל֥וּחַ לִבֶּֽךָ׃ qā·šə·rêm ‘al- ’eṣ·bə·‘ō·ṯe·ḵā kā·ṯə·ḇêm ‘al- lū·aḥ lib·be·ḵā — WLC · 3
4
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and call understanding your kinsman,
𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤇𐤊𐤌𐤄 𐤀𐤕 𐤀𐤇𐤕𐤉 𐤕𐤒𐤓𐤀 𐤋𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤌𐤃𐤏
אֱמֹ֣ר לַֽ֭חָכְמָה אָ֑תְּ אֲחֹ֣תִי תִקְרָֽא׃ לַבִּינָ֥ה וּ֝מֹדָ֗ע ’ĕ·mōr la·ḥā·ḵə·māh ’āt ’ă·ḥō·ṯî ṯiq·rā lab·bî·nāh ū·mō·ḏā‘ — WLC · 4
5
that they may keep you from the adulteress…, from the stranger with seductive words.
𐤋𐤔𐤌𐤓𐤊 𐤆𐤓𐤄 𐤌𐤀𐤔𐤄 𐤌𐤍𐤊𐤓𐤉𐤄 𐤄𐤇𐤋𐤉𐤒𐤄 𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉𐤄
לִ֭שְׁמָרְךָ זָרָ֑ה מֵאִשָּׁ֣ה מִ֝נָּכְרִיָּ֗ה הֶחֱלִֽיקָה׃ אֲמָרֶ֥יהָ liš·mā·rə·ḵā zā·rāh mê·’iš·šāh min·nā·ḵə·rî·yāh he·ḥĕ·lî·qāh ’ă·mā·re·hā — WLC · 5
6
For at the window of my house I looked through the lattice.
𐤊𐤉 𐤁𐤇𐤋𐤅𐤍 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤉 𐤍𐤔𐤒𐤐𐤕𐤉 𐤁𐤏𐤃 𐤀𐤔𐤍𐤁𐤉
כִּ֭י בְּחַלּ֣וֹן בֵּיתִ֑י נִשְׁקָֽפְתִּי׃ בְּעַ֖ד אֶשְׁנַבִּ֣י kî bə·ḥal·lō·wn bê·ṯî niš·qā·p̄ə·tî bə·‘aḏ ’eš·nab·bî — WLC · 6
7
I saw among the simple, I noticed among the youths, a young man lacking judgment,
𐤅𐤀𐤓𐤀 𐤁𐤐𐤕𐤀𐤉𐤌 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤍𐤄 𐤁𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤍𐤏𐤓 𐤇𐤎𐤓 𐤋𐤁
וָאֵ֤רֶא בַפְּתָאיִ֗ם אָ֘בִ֤ינָה בַבָּנִ֗ים נַ֣עַר חֲסַר־ לֵֽב׃ wā·’ê·re ḇap·pə·ṯā·yim ’ā·ḇî·nāh ḇab·bā·nîm na·‘ar ḥă·sar- lêḇ — WLC · 7
8
crossing the street near her corner, strolling down the road to her house,
𐤏𐤁𐤓 𐤁𐤔𐤅𐤒 𐤀𐤑𐤋 𐤐𐤍𐤄 𐤉𐤑𐤏𐤃 𐤅𐤃𐤓𐤊 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤄
עֹבֵ֣ר בַּ֭שּׁוּק אֵ֣צֶל פִּנָּ֑הּ יִצְעָֽד׃ וְדֶ֖רֶךְ בֵּיתָ֣הּ ‘ō·ḇêr baš·šūq ’ê·ṣel pin·nāh yiṣ·‘āḏ wə·ḏe·reḵ bê·ṯāh — WLC · 8
9
at twilight, as the day was fading… into the dark of the night…
𐤁𐤍𐤔𐤐 𐤁𐤏𐤓𐤁 𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤅𐤀𐤐𐤋𐤄 𐤁𐤀𐤉𐤔𐤅𐤍 𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄
בְּנֶֽשֶׁף־ בְּעֶ֥רֶב י֑וֹם וַאֲפֵלָֽה׃ בְּאִישׁ֥וֹן לַ֝֗יְלָה bə·ne·šep̄- bə·‘e·reḇ yō·wm wa·’ă·p̄ê·lāh bə·’î·šō·wn lay·lāh — WLC · 9
10
Then a woman came out to meet him, [with] the attire of a harlot and cunning of heart.
𐤅𐤄𐤍𐤄 𐤀𐤔𐤄 𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤀𐤕𐤅 𐤔𐤉𐤕 𐤆𐤅𐤍𐤄 𐤅𐤍𐤑𐤓𐤕 𐤋𐤁
וְהִנֵּ֣ה אִ֭שָּׁה לִקְרָאת֑וֹ שִׁ֥ית ז֝וֹנָ֗ה וּנְצֻ֥רַת לֵֽב׃ wə·hin·nêh ’iš·šāh liq·rā·ṯōw šîṯ zō·w·nāh ū·nə·ṣu·raṯ lêḇ — WLC · 10
11
She is loud and defiant; her feet do not remain at home.
𐤄𐤉𐤀 𐤄𐤌𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤎𐤓𐤓𐤕 𐤓𐤂𐤋𐤉𐤄 𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤍𐤅 𐤁𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤄
הִ֣יא הֹמִיָּ֣ה וְסֹרָ֑רֶת רַגְלֶֽיהָ׃ לֹא־ יִשְׁכְּנ֥וּ בְּ֝בֵיתָ֗הּ hî hō·mî·yāh wə·sō·rā·reṯ raḡ·le·hā lō- yiš·kə·nū bə·ḇê·ṯāh — WLC · 11
12
Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
𐤐𐤏𐤌 𐤁𐤇𐤅𐤑 𐤐𐤏𐤌 𐤁𐤓𐤇𐤁𐤅𐤕 𐤕𐤀𐤓𐤁 𐤅𐤀𐤑𐤋 𐤊𐤋 𐤐𐤍𐤄
פַּ֤עַם׀ בַּח֗וּץ פַּ֥עַם בָּרְחֹב֑וֹת תֶאֱרֹֽב׃ וְאֵ֖צֶל כָּל־ פִּנָּ֣ה pa·‘am ba·ḥūṣ pa·‘am bā·rə·ḥō·ḇō·wṯ ṯe·’ĕ·rōḇ wə·’ê·ṣel kāl- pin·nāh — WLC · 12
13
She seizes him and kisses him; she brazenly… says to him:
𐤅𐤄𐤇𐤆𐤉𐤒𐤄 𐤁𐤅 𐤅𐤍𐤔𐤒𐤄 𐤋𐤅 𐤄𐤏𐤆𐤄 𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤕𐤀𐤌𐤓 𐤋𐤅
וְהֶחֱזִ֣יקָה בּ֭וֹ וְנָ֣שְׁקָה־ לּ֑וֹ הֵעֵ֥זָה פָ֝נֶ֗יהָ וַתֹּ֣אמַר לֽוֹ׃ wə·he·ḥĕ·zî·qāh bōw wə·nā·šə·qāh- lōw hê·‘ê·zāh p̄ā·ne·hā wat·tō·mar lōw — WLC · 13
14
“I have made my peace… offerings; today I have paid my vows.
𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤋𐤉 𐤆𐤁𐤇𐤉 𐤄𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤔𐤋𐤌𐤕𐤉 𐤍𐤃𐤓𐤉
שְׁלָמִ֣ים עָלָ֑י זִבְחֵ֣י הַ֝יּ֗וֹם שִׁלַּ֥מְתִּי נְדָרָֽי׃ šə·lā·mîm ‘ā·lāy ziḇ·ḥê hay·yō·wm šil·lam·tî nə·ḏā·rāy — WLC · 14
15
So… I came out to meet you; I sought you,… and I have found you.
𐤏𐤋 𐤊𐤍 𐤉𐤑𐤀𐤕𐤉 𐤋𐤒𐤓𐤀𐤕𐤊 𐤋𐤔𐤇𐤓 𐤐𐤍𐤉𐤊 𐤅𐤀𐤌𐤑𐤀𐤊
עַל־ כֵּ֭ן יָצָ֣אתִי לִקְרָאתֶ֑ךָ לְשַׁחֵ֥ר פָּ֝נֶ֗יךָ וָאֶמְצָאֶֽךָּ׃ ‘al- kên yā·ṣā·ṯî liq·rā·ṯe·ḵā lə·ša·ḥêr pā·ne·ḵā wā·’em·ṣā·’e·kā — WLC · 15
16
I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
𐤓𐤁𐤃𐤕𐤉 𐤏𐤓𐤔𐤉 𐤌𐤓𐤁𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤇𐤈𐤁𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤈𐤅𐤍 𐤌𐤑𐤓𐤉𐤌
רָבַ֣דְתִּי עַרְשִׂ֑י מַ֭רְבַדִּים חֲ֝טֻב֗וֹת אֵט֥וּן מִצְרָֽיִם׃ rā·ḇaḏ·tî ‘ar·śî mar·ḇad·dîm ḥă·ṭu·ḇō·wṯ ’ê·ṭūn miṣ·rā·yim — WLC · 16
17
I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
𐤍𐤐𐤕𐤉 𐤌𐤔𐤊𐤁𐤉 𐤌𐤓 𐤀𐤄𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤅𐤒𐤍𐤌𐤅𐤍
נַ֥פְתִּי מִשְׁכָּבִ֑י מֹ֥ר אֲ֝הָלִ֗ים וְקִנָּמֽוֹן׃ nap̄·tî miš·kā·ḇî mōr ’ă·hā·lîm wə·qin·nā·mō·wn — WLC · 17
18
Come, let us take our fill of love till morning. Let us delight in loving caresses!
𐤋𐤊𐤄 𐤍𐤓𐤅𐤄 𐤃𐤃𐤉𐤌 𐤏𐤃 𐤄𐤁𐤒𐤓 𐤍𐤕𐤏𐤋𐤎𐤄 𐤁𐤀𐤄𐤁𐤉𐤌
לְכָ֤ה נִרְוֶ֣ה דֹ֭דִים עַד־ הַבֹּ֑קֶר נִ֝תְעַלְּסָ֗ה בָּאֳהָבִֽים׃ lə·ḵāh nir·weh ḏō·ḏîm ‘aḏ- hab·bō·qer niṯ·‘al·lə·sāh bā·’o·hā·ḇîm — WLC · 18
19
For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey.
𐤊𐤉 𐤄𐤀𐤉𐤔 𐤀𐤉𐤍 𐤁𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤅 𐤄𐤋𐤊 𐤌𐤓𐤇𐤅𐤒 𐤁𐤃𐤓𐤊
כִּ֤י הָאִ֣ישׁ אֵ֣ין בְּבֵית֑וֹ הָ֝לַ֗ךְ מֵרָחֽוֹק׃ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ kî hā·’îš ’ên bə·ḇê·ṯōw hā·laḵ mê·rā·ḥō·wq bə·ḏe·reḵ — WLC · 19
20
He took with him a bag of money and will not return… till the moon [is] full.”
𐤋𐤒𐤇 𐤁𐤉𐤃𐤅 𐤑𐤓𐤅𐤓 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤐 𐤉𐤁𐤀 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤅 𐤋𐤉𐤅𐤌 𐤄𐤊𐤎𐤀
לָקַ֣ח בְּיָד֑וֹ צְֽרוֹר־ הַ֭כֶּסֶף יָבֹ֥א בֵיתֽוֹ׃ לְי֥וֹם הַ֝כֵּ֗סֶא lā·qaḥ bə·yā·ḏōw ṣə·rō·wr- hak·ke·sep̄ yā·ḇō ḇê·ṯōw lə·yō·wm hak·kê·se — WLC · 20
21
With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
𐤁𐤓𐤁 𐤋𐤒𐤇𐤄 𐤄𐤈𐤕𐤅 𐤁𐤇𐤋𐤒 𐤔𐤐𐤕𐤉𐤄 𐤕𐤃𐤉𐤇𐤍𐤅
בְּרֹ֣ב לִקְחָ֑הּ הִ֭טַּתּוּ בְּחֵ֥לֶק שְׂ֝פָתֶ֗יהָ תַּדִּיחֶֽנּוּ׃ bə·rōḇ liq·ḥāh hiṭ·ṭat·tū bə·ḥê·leq śə·p̲ā·t̲ê·hā tad·dî·ḥen·nū — WLC · 21
22
He follows her… on impulse, like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer bounding into a trap,
𐤄𐤅𐤋𐤊 𐤀𐤇𐤓𐤉𐤄 𐤐𐤕𐤀𐤌 𐤊𐤔𐤅𐤓 𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤀 𐤀𐤋 𐤈𐤁𐤇 𐤀𐤅𐤉𐤋 𐤅𐤊𐤏𐤊𐤎 𐤀𐤋 𐤌𐤅𐤎𐤓
ה֤וֹלֵ֥ךְ אַחֲרֶ֗יהָ פִּ֫תְאֹ֥ם כְּ֭שׁוֹר יָב֑וֹא אֶל־ טָ֣בַח אֱוִֽיל׃ וּ֝כְעֶ֗כֶס אֶל־ מוּסַ֥ר hō·w·lêḵ ’a·ḥă·re·hā piṯ·’ōm kə·šō·wr yā·ḇō·w ’el- ṭå̄·ḇaḥ ’ĕ·wîl ū·ḵə·‘e·ḵes ’el- mū·sar — WLC · 22
23
until an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare— not knowing… it will cost him his life.
𐤏𐤃 𐤇𐤑 𐤉𐤐𐤋𐤇 𐤊𐤁𐤃𐤅 𐤑𐤐𐤅𐤓 𐤊𐤌𐤄𐤓 𐤀𐤋 𐤐𐤇 𐤅𐤋𐤀 𐤉𐤃𐤏 𐤊𐤉 𐤄𐤅𐤀𐤐 𐤁𐤍𐤐𐤔𐤅
עַ֤ד חֵ֡ץ יְפַלַּ֪ח כְּֽבֵד֗וֹ צִפּ֣וֹר כְּמַהֵ֣ר אֶל־ פָּ֑ח וְלֹֽא־ יָ֝דַ֗ע כִּֽי־ הֽוּא׃פ בְנַפְשׁ֥וֹ ‘aḏ ḥêṣ yə·p̄al·laḥ kə·ḇê·ḏōw ṣip·pō·wr kə·ma·hêr ’el- pāḥ wə·lō- yā·ḏa‘ kî- hū ḇə·nap̄·šōw — WLC · 23
24
Now, my sons, listen to me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
𐤅𐤏𐤕𐤄 𐤁𐤍𐤉𐤌 𐤔𐤌𐤏𐤅 𐤋𐤉 𐤅𐤄𐤒𐤔𐤉𐤁𐤅 𐤋𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤉 𐤐𐤉
וְעַתָּ֣ה בָ֭נִים שִׁמְעוּ־ לִ֑י וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לְאִמְרֵי־ פִֽי׃ wə·‘at·tāh ḇā·nîm šim·‘ū- lî wə·haq·šî·ḇū lə·’im·rê- p̄î — WLC · 24
25
Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths.
𐤀𐤋 𐤋𐤁𐤊 𐤉𐤔𐤈 𐤀𐤋 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉𐤄 𐤀𐤋 𐤕𐤕𐤏 𐤁𐤍𐤕𐤉𐤁𐤅𐤕𐤉𐤄
אַל־ לִבֶּ֑ךָ יֵ֣שְׂטְ אֶל־ דְּרָכֶ֣יהָ אַל־ תֵּ֝תַע בִּנְתִיבוֹתֶֽיהָ׃ ’al- lib·be·ḵā yê·śəṭ ’el- də·rā·ḵe·hā ’al- tê·ṯa‘ bin·ṯî·ḇō·w·ṯe·hā — WLC · 25
26
For she has brought many down to death; her slain are many in number.
𐤊𐤉 𐤓𐤁𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤐𐤉𐤋𐤄 𐤇𐤋𐤋𐤉𐤌 𐤄𐤓𐤂𐤉𐤄 𐤅𐤏𐤑𐤌𐤉𐤌 𐤊𐤋
כִּֽי־ רַבִּ֣ים הִפִּ֑ילָה חֲלָלִ֣ים הֲרֻגֶֽיהָ׃ וַ֝עֲצֻמִ֗ים כָּל־ kî- rab·bîm hip·pî·lāh ḥă·lā·lîm hă·ru·ḡe·hā wa·‘ă·ṣu·mîm kāl- — WLC · 26
27
Her house is the road to Sheol, descending to the chambers of death.
𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤄 𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉 𐤔𐤀𐤅𐤋 𐤉𐤓𐤃𐤅𐤕 𐤀𐤋 𐤇𐤃𐤓𐤉 𐤌𐤅𐤕𐤐
בֵּיתָ֑הּ דַּרְכֵ֣י שְׁא֣וֹל יֹ֝רְד֗וֹת אֶל־ חַדְרֵי־ מָֽוֶת׃פ bê·ṯāh dar·ḵê šə·’ō·wl yō·rə·ḏō·wṯ ’el- ḥaḏ·rê- mā·weṯ — WLC · 27