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, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.

²Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.

³Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.

⁴Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts.

⁵Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her.

⁶Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.

⁷Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof.

⁸Turn away thine eye from a beautiful woman, and look not upon another’s beauty; for many have been deceived by the beauty of a woman; for herewith love is kindled as a fire.

⁹Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor sit down with her in thine arms, and spend not thy money with her at the wine; lest thine heart incline unto her, and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction.

¹⁰Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.

¹¹Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.

¹²Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.

¹³Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill; so shalt thou not doubt the fear of death: and if thou come unto him, make no fault, lest he take away thy life presently: remember that thou goest in the midst of snares, and that thou walkest upon the battlements of the city.

¹⁴As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.

¹⁵Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most High.

¹⁶And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

¹⁷For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.

¹⁸A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.