Sirach

¹ Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, And teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.

² Give not thy soul unto a woman, That she should set her foot upon thy strength.

³ Go not to meet a woman that playeth the harlot, Lest haply thou fall into her snares.

⁴ Use not the company of a woman that is a singer, Lest haply thou be caught by her attempts.

⁵ Gaze not on a maid, lest haply thou be trapped in her penalties.

⁶ Give not thy soul unto harlots, That thou lose not thine inheritance.

⁷ Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, Neither wander thou in the solitary places thereof.

⁸ Turn away thine eye from a comely woman, And gaze not on another’s beauty: By the beauty of a woman many have been led astray; And herewith love is kindled as a fire.

⁹ Sit not at all with a woman that hath a husband; And revel not with her at the wine; Lest haply thy soul turn aside unto her, And with thy spirit thou slide into destruction.

¹⁰ Forsake not an old friend; For the new is not comparable to him: As new wine, so is a new friend; If it become old, thou shalt drink it with gladness.

¹¹ Envy not the glory of a sinner; For thou knowest not what shall be his overthrow.

¹² Delight not in the delights of the ungodly: Remember they shall not go unpunished unto the grave.

¹³ Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, And thou shalt have no suspicion of the fear of death: And if thou come unto him, commit no fault, Lest he take away thy life: Know surely that thou goest about in the midst of snares, And walkest upon the battlements of a city.

¹⁴ As well as thou canst, guess at thy neighbours; And take counsel with the wise.

¹⁵ Let thy converse be with men of understanding; And let all thy discourse be in the law of the Most High.

¹⁶ Let just men be the companions of thy board; And let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

¹⁷ For the hand of the artificers a work shall be commended: And he that ruleth the people shall be counted wise for his speech.

¹⁸ A man full of tongue is dangerous in his city; And he that is headlong in his speech shall be hated.