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87

to all his foreign wives; and they burned incense, and they sacrificed to their idols. Pay no attention to a wicked woman. For honey drips from the lips of a prostitute woman, which for a time soothes your throat, but afterwards you will find it more bitter than gall, and sharpened more than a two-edged sword. A woman hunts for the precious souls of men, -A throne of dishonor, a woman hating righteous things. Son, keep my commandments, and you will live, that it may keep you from a foreign and wicked woman. For from the window of her house she looks out into the broad places, and whomever of the foolish children she sees, a young man lacking sense, passing by in a corner, in the passages of her house, and speaking in the evening darkness, when there is nocturnal and gloomy quiet; the woman meets him, having the appearance of a harlot, or who makes the hearts of the young fly out. She is dissolutely excitable; and in her house her feet do not rest. For for a time she roams outside, and for a time she lies in wait in the broad places at every corner. Then having laid hold of him, she kissed him, and with a shameless face she spoke to him: I have a peace offering, today I am paying my vows. For this reason I came out to meet you, desiring your face I have found you; I have spread my bed with coverings, and with tapestries from Egypt I have strewn it; I have sprinkled my bed with saffron, and my house with cinnamon. Come, and let us enjoy love until dawn. Come and let us roll together in passion. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey, having taken a bundle of silver in his hand, after many days he will return to his house. And she led him astray with much talk, and with the snares of her lips she drew him away. And he followed, being enticed, and just as an ox is led to the slaughter, and as a dog to the leash, or as a deer struck in the liver, he hastens just as a bird to a trap, not knowing that he runs for his life. Having wounded many she has cast them down, and innumerable are those whom she has slain. Her house is the ways of Hades, leading down to the chambers of death. As a jewel in a swine’s snout, so is beauty to an evil-minded woman. A foolish and bold woman comes to be in want of a morsel, who knows not shame. She sat at the doors of her own house, on a seat openly in the broad places 95.1321 calling to those passing by and going straight on their ways. Whoever of you is most foolish, let him turn aside to me, and to him who lacks understanding, I exhort, saying: Gladly touch hidden bread, and drink sweet stolen water. But he does not know that the earth-born perish with her, and he meets with the deep pit of Hades. As a worm in wood, so a wicked woman destroys a man. He who keeps an adulteress is foolish and impious. It is better to live in a desert, than with a contentious and talkative and angry woman. Drops drive a man out of his house on a winter day, likewise also a railing woman drives a man out of his own house. Beware of your bedfellow, of entrusting her to do anything. Do not give your soul to a woman, lest you meet one who is a harlot. Do not linger with a singing woman. Do not gaze at a maiden. Do not give your soul to a harlot. Turn away your eye from a beautiful woman. Do not sit at all with a married woman. For by the beauty of a woman many have been led astray. Wine and women will make the wise fall away. The bold woman shames her father and husband, and will be dishonored by both. A woman who leaves her husband, and presents an heir from strangers, first disobeyed the law of the Most High, and second she transgressed against her husband, and third she committed adultery in fornication, and from a strange man she has presented children. This woman shall be brought forth into the assembly; her children will not spread root, and her branches will not bear fruit; she will leave her memorial for a curse. Give no outlet to water, nor freedom to a wicked woman. If she does not go according to your hand, cut her off from your flesh. You would prefer to dwell with a lion, and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman. All wickedness is small

87

πάσαις ταῖς γυναιξὶν αὐτοῦ ταῖς ἀλλοτρίαις· καὶ ἐθυμίων, καὶ ἔθυον τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν. Μὴ πρόσεχε φαύλῃ γυναικί. Μέλι γὰρ ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἢ πρὸς καιρὸν λιπαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα, ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις, καὶ ἠκονημένον μᾶλλον μαχαίρας διστόμου. Γυνὴ τιμίας ψυχὰς ἀνδρῶν ἀγρεύει, -Θρόνος ἀτιμίας, γυνὴ μισοῦσα δίκαια. Υἱὲ, φύλασσε ἐμὰς ἐντολὰς, καὶ βιώσεις, ἵνα σε τηρήσῃ ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἀλλοτρίας καὶ πονηρᾶς. Ἀπὸ γὰρ θυρίδος ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτῆς εἰς τὰς πλατείας παρακύπτουσα, ὃν ἂν ἴδῃ τῶν ἀφρόνων τέκνων νεανίαν ἐνδεῆ φρενῶν παραπορευόμενον ἐν γωνίᾳ, ἐν διόδοις οἴκων αὐτῆς, καὶ λαλοῦντα ἐν σκότει ἑσπερινῷ, ἡνίκα ἂν ᾖ ἡσυχία νυκτερινὴ καὶ γνοφώδης· ἡ δὲ γυνὴ συναντᾷ αὐτῷ εἶδος ἔχουσα πορνικὸν, ἢ ποιεῖ νέων ἐξίπτασθαι καρδίας. Ἀνεπτερωμένη ἐστὶν ἀσώτως· ἐν οἴκῳ δὲ οὐχ ἡσυχάζουσιν οἱ πόδες αὐτῆς. Χρόνον γάρ τινα ἔξω ῥέμβεται, χρόνῳ δὲ ἐν πλατείαις παρὰ πᾶσαν γωνίαν ἐνεδρεύει. Εἶτα ἐπιλαβομένη ἐφίλησεν αὐτὸν, ἀναιδεῖ δὲ προσώπῳ προσεῖπεν αὐτῷ· Θυσία εἰρηνική μοί ἐστι, σήμερον ἀποδίδωμι τὰς εὐχάς μου. Ἕνεκα τούτου ἐξῆλθον εἰς συνάντησίν σοι, ποθοῦσα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου εὕρηκά σε· κειρίαις τέτακα τὴν κλίνην μου, ἀμφιτάποις δὲ ἔστρωκα τοῖς ἀπ' Αἰγύπτου· διέῤῥαγκα τὴν κοίτην μου κρόκῳ, τὸν δὲ οἶκόν μου κινναμώμῳ. Ἐλθὲ, καὶ ἀπολαύσωμεν φιλίας ἕως ὄρθρου. ∆εῦρο καὶ ἐγκυλισθῶμεν ἔρωτι. Οὐ γὰρ πάρεστιν ὁ ἀνήρ μου ἐν οἴκῳ· πεπόρευται ὁδῷ μακρᾷ, ἔνδεσμον ἀργυρίου λαβὼν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, δι' ἡμερῶν πολλῶν ἐπανήξει εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ. Ἀπεπλάνησε δὲ αὐτὸν πολλῇ ὁμιλίᾳ, βρόχοις δὲ τοῖς ἀπὸ χειλέων ἐξώκειλεν αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἐπηκολούθησε κεπφωθεὶς, καὶ ὥσπερ δὲ βοῦς ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἄγεται, καὶ ὥσπερ κύων ἐπὶ δεσμὸν, ἢ ὡς ἔλαφος πεπληγὼς εἰς τὸ ἧπαρ, σπεύδει δὲ ὥσπερ ὄρνεον εἰς παγίδα, οὐκ εἰδὼς ὅτι περὶ ψυχῆς τρέχει. Πολλοὺς τρώσασα καταβέβληκε, καὶ ἀναρίθμητοί εἰσιν οὓς πεφόνευκεν. Ὁδοὶ ᾅδου ὁ οἶκος αὐτῆς, κατάγουσαι εἰς ταμεῖα θανάτου. Ὥσπερ ἐνώτιον ἐν ῥινὶ ὑὸς, οὕτως γυναικὶ κακόφρονι κάλλος. Γυνὴ ἄφρων καὶ θρασεία, ἐνδεὴς ψωμοῦ γίνεται, ἣ οὐκ ἐπίσταται αἰσχύνην. Ἐκάθισεν ἐπὶ θύραις τοῦ ἑαυτῆς οἴκου, ἐπὶ δίφρου ἐμφανῶς ἐν πλατείαις 95.1321 προσκαλουμένη τοὺς παριόντας καὶ κατευθύνοντας ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν. Ὅς ἐστιν ὑμῶν ἀφρονέστατος, ἐκκλινάτω πρός με, ἐνδεὴς δὲ φρονήσεως, παρακελεύομαι, λέγουσα· Ἄρτων κρυφίων ἡδέως ἅψασθε, καὶ ὕδατος κλοπῆς γλυκεροῦ πίεσθε. Ὁ δὲ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι γηγενεῖς παρ' αὐτῇ ὀλοῦνται, καὶ εἰς πέταυρον ᾅδου συναντᾷ. Ὥσπερ σκώληξ ἐν ξύλῳ, οὕτως ἄνδρα ἀπόλλυσι γυνὴ κακοποιός. Ὁ κατέχων μοιχαλίδα, ἄφρων καὶ ἀσεβής. Κρεῖσσον οἰκεῖν ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ἢ μετὰ γυναικὸς μαχίμου καὶ γλωσσώδους καὶ ὀργίλου. Σταγόνες ἐκβάλλουσιν ἄνθρωπον ἐν ἡμέρᾳ χειμερινῇ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, ὡσαύτως καὶ γυνὴ λοίδορος ἐκ τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου ἄνδρα ἐκβάλλει. Ἀπὸ τῆς συγκοίτου σου φύλαξαι, τοῦ ἀναθέσθαι αὐτῇ τι ποιεῖν. Μὴ δῷς γυναικὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου, μὴ ὑπάντα ἑταιριζομένῃ. Μετὰ ψαλλούσης μὴ ἐνδελέχιζε. Παρθένον μὴ καταμάνθανε. Μὴ δῷς πόρνῃ τὴν ψυχήν σου. Ἀπόστρεψον τὸν ὀφθαλμόν σου ἀπὸ γυναικὸς εὐμόρφου. Μετὰ ὑπάνδρου γυναικὸς μὴ κάθου τὸ σύνολον. Ἐν κάλλει γὰρ γυναικὸς πολλοὶ ἐπλανήθησαν. Οἶνος καὶ γυναῖκες ἀποστήσουσι συνετούς. Πατέρα καὶ ἄνδρα καταισχύνει ἡ θρασεῖα, καὶ ὑπὸ ἀμφοτέρων ἀτιμασθήσεται. Γυνὴ καταλιποῦσα τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ παριστῶσα κληρονόμον ἐξ ἀλλοτρίων, πρῶτον ἐν νόμῳ Ὑψίστου ἠπείθησε, καὶ δεύτερον εἰς ἄνδρα αὐτῆς ἐπλημμέλησεν, καὶ τὸ τρίτον ἐν πορνείᾳ ἐμοιχεύθη, καὶ ἐξ ἀλλοτρίου ἀνδρὸς τέκνα παρέστησεν. Αὕτη εἰς ἐκκλησίαν ἐξαχθήσεται· οὐ διαδώσουσι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς ῥίζαν, καὶ οἱ κλάδοι αὐτῆς οὐκ οἴσουσι καρπόν· καταλείψει εἰς κατάραν τὸ μνημόσυνον αὐτῆς. Μὴ δῷς ὕδατι διέξοδον, μηδὲ γυναικὶ πονηρᾷ ἄνεσιν. Εἰ μὴ πορεύεται κατὰ χεῖρά σου, ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκῶν σου ἀπότεμε αὐτήν. Συνοικῆσαι λέοντι, καὶ δράκοντι εὐδόκησαι, ἢ συνοικῆσαι μετὰ γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς. Μικρὰ πᾶσα κακία