Sirach 9

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

Advice concerning Women

9 Do not be jealous of the wife of your bosom,
    or you will teach her an evil lesson to your own hurt.
²Do not give yourself to a woman
    and let her trample down your strength.
³Do not go near a loose woman,
    or you will fall into her snares.
⁴Do not dally with a singing girl,
    or you will be caught by her tricks.
⁵Do not look intently at a virgin,
    or you may stumble and incur penalties for her.
⁶Do not give yourself to prostitutes,
    or you may lose your inheritance.
⁷Do not look around in the streets of a city,
    or wander about in its deserted sections.
⁸Turn away your eyes from a shapely woman,
    and do not gaze at beauty belonging to another;
many have been seduced by a woman’s beauty,
    and by it passion is kindled like a fire.
⁹Never dine with another man’s wife,
    or revel with her at wine;
or your heart may turn aside to her,
    and in blood^[a] you may be plunged into destruction.

Choice of Friends

¹⁰Do not abandon old friends,
for new ones cannot equal them.
A new friend is like new wine;
when it has aged, you can drink it with pleasure.

¹¹Do not envy the success of sinners,
for you do not know what their end will be like.
¹²Do not delight in what pleases the ungodly;
remember that they will not be held guiltless all their lives.

¹³Keep far from those who have power to kill,
    and you will not be haunted by the fear of death.
But if you approach them, make no misstep,
    or they may rob you of your life.
Know that you are stepping among snares,
    and that you are walking on the city battlements.

¹⁴As much as you can, aim to know your neighbors,
    and consult with the wise.
¹⁵Let your conversation be with intelligent people,
    and let all your discussion be about the law of the Most High.
¹⁶Let the righteous be your dinner companions,
    and let your glory be in the fear of the Lord.

Concerning Rulers

¹⁷A work is praised for the skill of the artisan;
so a people’s leader is proved wise by his words.
¹⁸The loud of mouth are feared in their city,
and the one who is reckless in speech is hated.

Footnotes

Sirach 9:9 Heb: Gk by your spirit

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.