Sirach 9

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.	1 Do not be jealous of the wife you love, do not teach her lessons in how to harm you.
2 Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.	2 Do not put yourself in a woman's hands or she may come to dominate you completely.
3 Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.	3 Do not keep company with a prostitute, in case you get entangled in her snares.
4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts.	4 Do not dal y with a singing girl, in case you get caught by her wiles.
5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her.	5 Do not stare at a pretty girl, in case you and she incur the same punishment.
6 Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.	6 Do not give your heart to whores, or you wil ruin your inheritance.
7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof.	7 Keep your eyes to yourself in the streets of a town, do not prowl about its unfrequented quarters.
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 Turn your eyes away from a handsome woman, do not stare at a beauty belonging to someone else.Because of a woman's beauty, many have been undone; this makes passion flare up like a 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 Never sit down with a married woman, or sit at table with her drinking wine, in case you let your heartsuccumb to her and you lose al self-control and slide to disaster.
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 Do not desert an old friend; the new one wil not be his match. New friend, new wine; when it grows old,you drink it with pleasure.
11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.	11 Do not envy the sinner his success; you do not know how that wil end.
12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.	12 Do not take pleasure in what pleases the godless; remember they wil not go unpunished here below.
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 your distance from the man who has the power to put to death, and you wil not be haunted by thefear of dying. If you do approach him, make no false move, or he may take your life. Realise that you aretreading among trip-lines, that you are strolling on the battlements.
14 As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.	14 Cultivate your neighbours to the best of your ability, and consult with the wise.
15 Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most High.	15 For conversation seek the intelligent, let al your discussions bear on the law of the Most High.
16 And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.	16 Have the upright for your table companions, and let your pride be in fearing the Lord.
17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.	17 Work from skilled hands will earn its praise, but a leader of the people must be skilful in words.
18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.	18 A chatterbox is a terror to his town, a loose talker is detested.