Sirach 9

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.	1 Be not jealous of the wife of your bosom, lest you teach her to do evil against you.
2 Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.	2 Give no woman power over you to trample upon your dignity.
3 Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.	3 Be not intimate with a strange woman, lest you fall into her snares.
4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts.	4 With a singing girl be not familiar, lest you be caught in her wiles.
5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her.	5 Entertain no thoughts against a virgin, lest you be enmeshed in damages for her.
6 Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.	6 Give not yourself to harlots, lest you surrender your inheritance.
7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof.	7 Gaze not about the lanes of the city and wander not through its squares;
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.	8 Avert your eyes from a comely woman; gaze not upon the beauty of another's wife-- Through woman's beauty many perish, for lust for it burns like fire.
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 With a married woman dine not, recline not at table to drink by her side, Lest your heart be drawn to her and you go down in blood to the grave.
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.	10 Discard not an old friend, for the new one cannot equal him. A new friend is like new wine which you drink with pleasure only when it has aged.
11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.	11 Envy not a sinner's fame, for you know not what disaster awaits him.
12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.	12 Rejoice not at a proud man's success; remember he will not reach death unpunished.
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.	13 Keep far from the man who has power to kill, and you will not be filled with the dread of death. But if you approach him, offend him not, lest he take away your life; Know that you are stepping among snares and walking over a net.
14 As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.	14 As best you can, take your neighbors' measure, and associate with the wise.
15 Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most High.	15 With the learned be intimate; let all your conversation be about the law of the LORD.
16 And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.	16 Have just men for your table companions; in the fear of God be your glory.
17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.	17 Skilled artisans are esteemed for their deftness; but the ruler of his people is the skilled sage.
18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.	18 Feared in the city is the man of railing speech, and he who talks rashly is hated.