« | Proverbs 7 | » |
1 My son, keep my words, and treasure my commands.
2 Keep my commands and live, my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 Bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to Wisdom, "You are my sister!" call Understanding, "Friend!"
5 That they may keep you from another's wife, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
6 For at the window of my house, through my lattice I looked out--
7 And I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the young men, a youth with no sense,
8 Going along the street near the corner, then walking in the direction of her house--
9 In the twilight, at dusk of day, at the time of the dark of night.
10 And lo! the woman comes to meet him, robed like a harlot, with secret designs--
11 She is fickle and unruly, in her home her feet cannot rest;
12 Now she is in the streets, now in the open squares, and at every corner she lurks in ambush--
13 When she seizes him, she kisses him, and with an impudent look says to him:
14 "I owed peace offerings, and today I have fulfilled my vows;
15 So I came out to meet you, to look for you, and I have found you!
16 With coverlets I have spread my couch, with brocaded cloths of Egyptian linen;
17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, with aloes, and with cinnamon.
18 "Come, let us drink our fill of love, until morning, let us feast on love!
19 For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey;
20 A bag of money he took with him, not till the full moon will he return home."
21 She wins him over by her repeated urging, with her smooth lips she leads him astray;
22 He follows her stupidly, like an ox that is led to slaughter; Like a stag that minces toward the net,
23 till an arrow pierces its liver; Like a bird that rushes into a snare, unaware that its life is at stake.
24 So now, O children, listen to me, be attentive to the words of my mouth!
25 Let not your heart turn to her ways, go not astray in her paths;
26 For many are those she has struck down dead, numerous, those she has slain.
27 Her house is made up of ways to the nether world, leading down into the chambers of death.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.