Sirach 9

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.	1 Do not be jealous of the wife you love, do not teach her lessons in how to harm you.
2 Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.	2 Do not put yourself in a woman's hands or she may come to dominate you completely.
3 Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: 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 her that is a dancer, and hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of her charms.	4 Do not dal y with a singing girl, in case you get caught by her wiles.
5 Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.	5 Do not stare at a pretty girl, in case you and she incur the same punishment.
6 Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.	6 Do not give your heart to whores, or you wil ruin your inheritance.
7 Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.	7 Keep your eyes to yourself in the streets of a town, do not prowl about its unfrequented quarters.
8 Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.	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 For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as 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 Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.	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 Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.	11 Do not envy the sinner his success; you do not know how that wil end.
12 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:	12 Do not take pleasure in what pleases the godless; remember they wil not go unpunished here below.
13 And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.	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 Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.	14 Cultivate your neighbours to the best of your ability, and consult with the wise.
15 A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.	15 For conversation seek the intelligent, let al your discussions bear on the law of the Most High.
16 Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.	16 Have the upright for your table companions, and let your pride be in fearing the Lord.
17 Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.	17 Work from skilled hands will earn its praise, but a leader of the people must be skilful in words.
18 Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.	18 A chatterbox is a terror to his town, a loose talker is detested.
19 And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.
20 Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of them that are grieved:
21 According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent.
22 Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.
23 And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.
24 Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers, and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech, but word of the ancients for the sense.
25 A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.