Proverbs 22:13–14

¹³The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.

^13*The slothfull man sayth, There is a lion in the way, a lion is in the streets.

¹⁴ As the doore turneth vpon his hinges: so doeth the slothfull vpon his bedde.

^15*‖The slothfull hideth his hand in his bosome, it grieueth him to bring it againe to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his owne conceit, then seuen men that can render a reason.

³²And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

³³And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

³²And they brought vp an euill report of the land which they had searched, vnto the children of Israel, saying, The land through which we haue gone, to search it, is a land that eateth vp the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it, are ^†men of a great stature.

³³And there we saw the giants, the sonnes of Anak, which come of the giants: and wee were in our owne sight as grashoppers, and so wee were in their sight.

¹⁹The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

^19†The way of the slouthfull man is as an hedge of thornes: but the way of the righteous is made plaine.

²⁶And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.

^26*†And I finde more bitter then death, the woman whose heart is snares & nets, and her handes as bands: who so pleaseth God, shall escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken by her.

²⁷For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

^27*For an whore is a deepe ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

^24*‖To keepe thee from the euill woman, from the flatterie of the tongue of a strange woman.

^25*Lust not after her beautie in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

^26†For by meanes of a whorish woman, a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteresse will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosome, and his clothes not be burnt?

²⁸Can one goe vpon hote coales, and his feete not be burnt?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbours wife; whosoeuer toucheth her, shall not be innocent.

²⁶Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

²⁶Did not Solomon king of Israel sinne by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloued of his God, and God made him king ouer all Israel: ^*neuerthelesse, euen him did outlandish women cause to sinne.

⁵That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

⁶¶ For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

⁷And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,

⁸Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

⁹In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:

¹⁰And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.

¹¹(She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:

¹²Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)

¹³So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,

¹⁴I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.

¹⁵Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

¹⁶I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.

¹⁹For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:

²⁰He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

²¹With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

²²He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;

²³Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

²⁴¶ Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.

²⁶For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

²⁷Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

^5*That they may keepe thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.

⁶¶ For at the windowe of my house I looked through my casement,

^7†And behelde among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a yong man void of vnderstanding,

⁸Passing through the streete neere her corner, and he went the way to her house,

^9†In the twilight in the euening, in the blacke and darke night:

¹⁰And behold, there met him a woman, with the attire of an harlot, and subtill of heart.

^11*(She is loud and stubburne, her feet abide not in her house:

¹²Now is shee without, now in the streetes, and lieth in waite at euery corner.)

^13†So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face, said vnto him,

^14† I haue peace offerings with me: this day haue I paid my vowes.

¹⁵Therefore came I forth to meete thee, diligently to seeke thy face, and I haue found thee.

¹⁶I haue deckt my bed with couerings of tapestrie, with carued workes, with fine linnen of Egypt.

¹⁷I haue perfumed my bed with myrrhe, aloes, and cynamom.

¹⁸Come, let vs take our fill of loue vntill the morning, let vs solace our selues with loues.

¹⁹For the good-man is not at home, he is gone a long iourney.

^20†‖He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.

²¹With much faire speech she caused him to yeeld, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

^22†He goeth after her straightway, as an oxe goeth to the slaughter, or as a foole to the correction of the stocks,

²³Til a dart strike through his liuer, as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

²⁴¶ Hearken vnto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Let not thine heart decline to her wayes, goe not astray in her paths.

²⁶For shee hath cast downe many wounded: yea many strong men haue bene slaine by her.

^27*Her house is the way to hell, going downe to the chambers of death.

²⁰And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the Lord was departed from him.

²¹¶ But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house.

²⁰And she said, The Philistines be vpon thee, Samson. And hee awoke out of his sleepe, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake my selfe. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

²¹¶ But the Philistines tooke him and ^†put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brasse, and he did grind in the prison house.

¹⁶To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;

¹⁷Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

¹⁸For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

¹⁹None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

¹⁶To deliuer thee from the strange woman, ^* euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her words:

¹⁷Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

¹⁸For her house inclineth vnto death, and her pathes vnto the dead:

¹⁹None that goe vnto her, returne againe, neither take they hold of the pathes of life.

¹⁹And when the Lord saw it, he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his daughters.

¹⁹And when the LORD saw it, he ^‖abhorred them, because of the prouoking of his sonnes, & of his daughters.

³¶ For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

⁴But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

⁷Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

⁹Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

¹⁰Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

¹¹And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

¹²And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

¹⁵¶ Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

²⁰And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

²²¶ His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

²³He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

³¶ ^*†For the lips of a strange woman drop as an hony combe, and her mouth is smoother then oyle.

⁴But her end is bitter as wormewood, sharpe as a two edged sword.

^5*Her feete goe downe to death: her steps take hold on hell.

⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her wayes are moueable, that thou canst not know them.

⁷Heare me now therefore, O yee children: & depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remoue thy way farre from her, and come not nie the doore of her house:

⁹Lest thou giue thine honour vnto others, and thy yeeres vnto the cruell:

^10†Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth, and thy labors be in the house of a stranger,

¹¹And thou mourne at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

¹²And say, How haue I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproofe?

¹³And haue not obeyed the voyce of my teachers, nor inclined mine eare to them that instructed me?

¹⁴I was almost in all euill, in the midst of the congregation & assembly.

¹⁵¶ Drinke waters out of thine owne cisterne, and running waters out of thine owne well.

¹⁶Let thy fountaines bee dispersed abroad, and riuers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷Let them be onely thine owne, and not strangers with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountaine be blessed: and reioyce with the wife of thy youth.

^19††Let her bee as the louing Hinde and pleasant Roe, let her breasts satisfie thee at all times, and be thou rauisht alwayes with her loue.

²⁰And why wilt thou, my sonne, be rauisht with a strange woman, and imbrace the bosome of a stranger?

^21*For the wayes of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

²²¶ ^†His owne iniquities shall take the wicked himselfe, and he shall be holden with the coards of his sinnes.

²³He shall die without instruction, and in the greatnesse of his folly he shal goe astray.

¹²So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

^12*‖So I gaue them vp vnto their owne hearts lust: and they walked in in their owne counsels.