rsv Proverbs:7-8 SEEK
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My son ,
keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you ;
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keep my commandments and live ,
keep my teachings as the apple of your eye ;
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bind them on your fingers ,
write them on the tablet of your heart .
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Say to wisdom , "
You are my sister ,"
and call insight your intimate friend ;
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to preserve you from the loose woman ,
from the adventuress with her smooth words .
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For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice ,
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and I have seen among the simple ,
I have perceived among the youths ,
a young man without sense ,
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passing along the street near her corner ,
taking the road to her house
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in the twilight ,
in the evening ,
at the time of night and darkness .
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And lo ,
a woman meets him ,
dressed as a harlot ,
wily of heart .
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She is loud and wayward ,
her feet do not stay at home ;
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now in the street ,
now in the market ,
and at every corner she lies in wait .
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She seizes him and kisses him ,
and with impudent face she says to him :
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I had to offer sacrifices ,
and today I have paid my vows ;
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so now I have come out to meet you ,
to seek you eagerly ,
and I have found you .
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I have decked my couch with coverings ,
colored spreads of Egyptian linen ;
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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 till morning ;
let us delight ourselves with love .
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For my husband is not at home ;
he has gone on a long journey ;
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he took a bag of money with him ;
at full moon he will come home ."
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With much seductive speech she persuades him ;
with her smooth talk she compels him .
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All at once he follows her ,
as an ox goes to the slaughter ,
or as a stag is caught fast
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till an arrow pierces its entrails ;
as a bird rushes into a snare ;
he does not know that it will cost him his life .
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And now ,
O sons ,
listen to me ,
and be attentive to the words of my mouth .
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Let not your heart turn aside to her ways ,
do not stray into her paths ;
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for many a victim has she laid low ;
yea ,
all her slain are a mighty host .
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Her house is the way to Sheol ,
going down to the chambers of death .
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Does not wisdom call ,
does not understanding raise her voice ?
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On the heights beside the way ,
in the paths she takes her stand ;
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beside the gates in front of the town ,
at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud :
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To you ,
O men ,
I call ,
and my cry is to the sons of men .
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O simple ones ,
learn prudence ;
O foolish men ,
pay attention .
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Hear ,
for I will speak noble things ,
and from my lips will come what is right ;
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for my mouth will utter truth ;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips .
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All the words of my mouth are righteous ;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them .
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They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge .
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Take my instruction instead of silver ,
and knowledge rather than choice gold ;
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for wisdom is better than jewels ,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her .
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I ,
wisdom ,
dwell in prudence ,
and I find knowledge and discretion .
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The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil .
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate .
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I have counsel and sound wisdom ,
I have insight ,
I have strength .
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By me kings reign ,
and rulers decree what is just ;
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by me princes rule ,
and nobles govern the earth .
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I love those who love me ,
and those who seek me diligently find me .
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Riches and honor are with me ,
enduring wealth and prosperity .
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My fruit is better than gold ,
even fine gold ,
and my yield than choice silver .
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I walk in the way of righteousness ,
in the paths of justice ,
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endowing with wealth those who love me ,
and filling their treasuries .
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The LORD created me at the beginning of his work ,
the first of his acts of old .
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Ages ago I was set up ,
at the first ,
before the beginning of the earth .
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When there were no depths I was brought forth ,
when there were no springs abounding with water .
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Before the mountains had been shaped ,
before the hills ,
I was brought forth ;
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before he had made the earth with its fields ,
or the first of the dust of the world .
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When he established the heavens ,
I was there ,
when he drew a circle on the face of the deep ,
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when he made firm the skies above ,
when he established the fountains of the deep ,
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when he assigned to the sea its limit ,
so that the waters might not transgress his command ,
when he marked out the foundations of the earth ,
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then I was beside him ,
like a master workman ;
and I was daily his delight ,
rejoicing before him always ,
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rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the sons of men .
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And now ,
my sons ,
listen to me :
happy are those who keep my ways .
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Hear instruction and be wise ,
and do not neglect it .
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Happy is the man who listens to me ,
watching daily at my gates ,
waiting beside my doors .
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For he who finds me finds life and obtains favor from the LORD ;
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but he who misses me injures himself ;
all who hate me love death ."
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Wisdom has built her house ,
she has set up her seven pillars .