Sirach
9:1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil
lesson against thyself.
9:2 Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.
9:3 Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.
9:4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken
with her attempts.
9:5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious
in her.
9:6 Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.
9:7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander
thou in the solitary place thereof.
9:8 Turn 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.
9:9 Sit 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.
9:10 Forsake 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.
9:11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his
end.
9:12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember
they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.
9:13 Keep 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.
9:14 As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the
wise.
9:15 Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of
the most High.
9:16 And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the
fear of the Lord.
9:17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise
ruler of the people for his speech.
9:18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in
his talk shall be hated.
