Proverbs 7:22

Suddenly he went ¹  after her like an ox that goes to the slaughter, like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare ² 

All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose

Suddenly he follows her As an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool,

He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter or like a trapped stag,

Before you know it, he's trotting behind her, like a calf led to the butcher shop, Like a stag lured into ambush

The simple man goes after her, like an ox going to its death, like a roe pulled by a cord;

Right away he follows her, and goes like an ox to the slaughter, or bounds like a stag toward the trap

Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

Suddenly he went ¹  after her like an ox that goes to the slaughter, like a stag prancing into a trapper’s snare ² 

¹ tn The participle with “suddenly” gives a more vivid picture, almost as if to say “there he goes.”

² tn The present translation follows R. B. Y. Scott (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes [AB], 64). This third colon of the verse would usually be rendered, “fetters to the chastening of a fool” (KJV, ASV, and NASB are all similar). But there is no support that עֶכֶס (’ekhes) means “fetters.” It appears in Isaiah 3:16 as “anklets.” The parallelism here suggests that some animal imagery is required. Thus the ancient versions have “as a dog to the bonds.”