Sirach 9

¹ Do not be jealous of the wife you love, do not teach her lessons in how to harm you.

² Do not put yourself in a woman's hands or she may come to dominate you completely.

³ Do not keep company with a prostitute, in case you get entangled in her snares.

⁴ Do not dal y with a singing girl, in case you get caught by her wiles.

⁵ Do not stare at a pretty girl, in case you and she incur the same punishment.

⁶ Do not give your heart to whores, or you wil ruin your inheritance.

⁷ Keep your eyes to yourself in the streets of a town, do not prowl about its unfrequented quarters.

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 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 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 Do not envy the sinner his success; you do not know how that wil end.

¹² Do not take pleasure in what pleases the godless; remember they wil not go unpunished here below.

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 Cultivate your neighbours to the best of your ability, and consult with the wise.

¹⁵ For conversation seek the intelligent, let al your discussions bear on the law of the Most High.

¹⁶ Have the upright for your table companions, and let your pride be in fearing the Lord.

¹⁷ Work from skilled hands will earn its praise, but a leader of the people must be skilful in words.

¹⁸ A chatterbox is a terror to his town, a loose talker is detested.