Ecclesiasticus / Sirach - The Old Testament

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 dally 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 will 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 heart succumb to her and you lose all self-control and slide to disaster.

¹⁰ Do not desert an old friend; the new one will 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 will end.

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

¹³ Keep your distance from the man who has the power to put to death, and you will not be haunted by the fear of dying. If you do approach him, make no false move, or he may take your life. Realise that you are treading 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 all 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.