Proverbs Chapter 7

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my precepts with thee. Son,
2 Keep my commandments, and thou shalt live: and my law as the apple of thy eye:
3 Bind it upon thy fingers, write it upon the tables of thy heart.
4 Say to wisdom: Thou art my sister: and call prudence thy friend,
5 That she may keep thee from the woman that is not thine, and from the stranger who sweeteneth her words.
6 For I looked out of the window of my house through the lattice,
7 And I see little ones, I behold a foolish young man,
8 Who passeth through the street by the corner, and goeth nigh the way of her house,
9 In the dark when it grows late, in the darkness and obscurity of the night.
10 And behold a woman meeteth him in harlot's attire, prepared to deceive souls: talkative and wandering,
11 Not bearing to be quiet, not able to abide still at home,
12 Now abroad, now in the streets, now lying in wait near the corners.
13 And catching the young man, she kisseth him, and with an impudent face, flattereth, saying:
14 I vowed victims for prosperity, this day I have paid my vows.
15 Therefore I am come out to meet thee, desirous to see thee, and I have found thee.
16 I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry, brought from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us be inebriated with the breasts, and let us enjoy the desired embraces, till the day appear.
19 For my husband is not at home, he is gone a very long journey.
20 He took with him a bag of money: he will return home the day of the full moon.
21 She entangled him with many words, and drew him away with the flattery of her lips.
22 Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and as a lamb playing the wanton, and not knowing that he is drawn like a fool to bonds,
23 Till the arrow pierce his liver: as if a bird should make haste to the snare, and knoweth not that his life is in danger.
24 Now, therefore, my son, hear me, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thy mind be drawn away in her ways: neither be thou deceived with her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded, and the strongest have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to hell, reaching even to the inner chambers of death.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Fili mi, custodi sermones meos,
et præcepta mea reconde tibi.
Fili,
2 serva mandata mea, et vives;
et legem meam quasi pupillam oculi tui:
3 liga eam in digitis tuis,
scribe illam in tabulis cordis tui.
4 Dic sapientiæ: Soror mea es,
et prudentiam voca amicam tuam:
5 ut custodiant te a muliere extranea,
et ab aliena quæ verba sua dulcia facit.
6 De fenestra enim domus meæ
per cancellos prospexi,
7 et video parvulos;
considero vecordem juvenem,
8 qui transit per plateam juxta angulum
et prope viam domus illius graditur:
9 in obscuro, advesperascente die,
in noctis tenebris et caligine.
10 Et ecce occurrit illi mulier ornatu meretricio,
præparata ad capiendas animas:
garrula et vaga,
11 quietis impatiens,
nec valens in domo consistere pedibus suis;
12 nunc foris, nunc in plateis,
nunc juxta angulos insidians.
13 Apprehensumque deosculatur juvenem,
et procaci vultu blanditur, dicens:
14 Victimas pro salute vovi;
hodie reddidi vota mea:
15 idcirco egressa sum in occursum tuum,
desiderans te videre, et reperi.
16 Intexui funibus lectulum meum;
stravi tapetibus pictis ex Ægypto:
17 aspersi cubile meum myrrha,
et aloë, et cinnamomo.
18 Veni, inebriemur uberibus,
et fruamur cupitis amplexibus donec illucescat dies.
19 Non est enim vir in domo sua:
abiit via longissima:
20 sacculum pecuniæ secum tulit;
in die plenæ lunæ reversurus est in domum suam.
21 Irretivit eum multis sermonibus,
et blanditiis labiorum protraxit illum.
22 Statim eam sequitur quasi bos ductus ad victimam,
et quasi agnus lasciviens,
et ignorans quod ad vincula stultus trahatur:
23 donec transfigat sagitta jecur ejus,
velut si avis festinet ad laqueum,
et nescit quod de periculo animæ illius agitur.
24 Nunc ergo, fili mi, audi me,
et attende verbis oris mei.
25 Ne abstrahatur in viis illius mens tua,
neque decipiaris semitis ejus;
26 multos enim vulneratos dejecit,
et fortissimi quique interfecti sunt ab ea.
27 Viæ inferi domus ejus,
penetrantes in interiora mortis.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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