His Time – Scripture Studies: Psalm 42, Proverbs 7, Reading from Charles P. Krauth, Old Testament Faith

⁵ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation^{[c] 6} and my God.

⁹ I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
¹⁰ As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

¹¹ Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

⁶ For at the window of my house
    I have looked out through my lattice,
⁷ and I have seen among the simple,
    I have perceived among the youths,
    a young man lacking sense,
⁸ passing along the street near her corner,
    taking the road to her house
⁹ in the twilight, in the evening,
    at the time of night and darkness.

¹⁰ And behold, the woman meets him,
    dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.^[a]
11 She is loud and wayward;
    her feet do not stay at home;
¹² now in the street, now in the market,
    and at every corner she lies in wait.
¹³ She seizes him and kisses him,
    and with bold face she says to him,
¹⁴ “I had to offer sacrifices,^[b]
    and today I have paid my vows;
¹⁵ so now I have come out to meet you,
    to seek you eagerly, and I have found you.
¹⁶ I have spread my couch with coverings,
    colored linens from Egyptian linen;
¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh,
    aloes, and cinnamon.
¹⁸ Come, let us take our fill of love till morning;
    let us delight ourselves with love.
¹⁹ For my husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey;
²⁰ he took a bag of money with him;
    at full moon he will come home.”

²¹ With much seductive speech she persuades him;
    with her smooth talk she compels him.
²² All at once he follows her,
    as an ox goes to the slaughter,
or as a stag is caught fast^[c]
23     till an arrow pierces its liver;
as a bird rushes into a snare;
    he does not know that it will cost him his life.

²⁴ And now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
²⁵ Let not your heart turn aside to her ways;
    do not stray into her paths,
²⁶ for many a victim has she laid low,
    and all her slain are a mighty throng.
²⁷ Her house is the way to Sheol,
    going down to the chambers of death.