Sirach 9

¹You should not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, lest she reveal, because of you, the malice of a wicked lesson.

²You should not give authority over your soul to a woman, lest she obtain your strength, and then you would be confounded.

³You should not look with favor on a woman with many desires, lest perhaps you may fall into her traps.

⁴You should not be continually in need of entertainment, nor should you be persuaded by it, lest perhaps you may perish by its effectiveness.

⁵You should not stare at a virgin, lest perhaps you may be scandalized by her beauty.

⁶You should not give your soul, in any way, to fornicators, lest you destroy yourself and your inheritance.

⁷Do not choose to look around in the streets of the city, nor should you wander along its thoroughfares.

⁸Avert your face from an ornate woman, for you should not gaze upon strange beauty.

⁹Many have perished because of the beauty of a woman; and by this, desire is kindled like a fire.

¹⁰Every woman who is a fornicator will be trampled down, like the filth in the street.

¹¹Many, by admiring the beauty of the wife of another, have become reprobate. For familiarity with her flares up like a fire.

¹²You should not sit down at all with another man’s wife, nor recline with her on a couch.

¹³And you should not argue with her over wine, lest perhaps your heart may turn toward her, and by your emotion, you would be toppled into perdition.

¹⁴You should not abandon an old friend. For a new one will not be similar to him.

¹⁵A new friend is like new wine. It will grow old, and then you will enjoy drinking it.

¹⁶You should not envy the glory and wealth of a sinner. For you do not know what may be his undoing in the future.

¹⁷The injury of the unjust should not please you, knowing that, until they are in hell, the impious will not please.

¹⁸Keep yourself far from a man having the power to kill, and then you will not have the fear of death suspended over you.

¹⁹But if you do approach him, do nothing to offend, lest perhaps he may take away your life.

²⁰Know that this is a communion with death. For you would be entering the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of the grieving.

²¹According to your ability, be cautious of your neighbor, and treat him as the wise and prudent would.

²²Let just men be your companions, and let your glory be in the fear of God.

²³And let the thought of God be in your mind, and let all your discourse be on the precepts of the Most High.

²⁴Works will be praised for the hands of the artists, and a leader of the people will be praised for the wisdom of his words, yet truly, the word of the elders will be praised for its understanding.

²⁵A man full of words is a dread to his city, but one who speaks rashly will be hated for his word.

Sirach 9

¹Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.

²Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.

³Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.

⁴Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.

⁵Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.

⁶Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.

⁷Look not round about thee in the ways of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.

⁸Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.

⁹For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.

¹⁰Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.

¹¹Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.

¹²Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:

¹³And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.

¹⁴Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.

¹⁵A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

¹⁶Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.

¹⁷Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.

¹⁸Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.

¹⁹And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.

²⁰Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved.

²¹According to thy power beware of thy neighbour, and treat with the wise and prudent.

²²Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.

²³And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.

²⁴Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but the word of the ancients for the sense.

²⁵A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.