1 You should not be jealous of the wife of your bosom, lest she reveal, because of you, the malice of a wicked lesson. 2 You should not give authority over your soul to a woman, lest she obtain your strength, and then you would be confounded. 3 You should not look with favor on a woman with many desires, lest perhaps you may fall into her traps. 4 You should not be continually in need of entertainment, nor should you be persuaded by it, lest perhaps you may perish by its effectiveness. 5 You should not stare at a virgin, lest perhaps you may be scandalized by her beauty. 6 You should not give your soul, in any way, to fornicators, lest you destroy yourself and your inheritance. 7 Do not choose to look around in the streets of the city, nor should you wander along its thoroughfares. 8 Avert your face from an ornate woman, for you should not gaze upon strange beauty. 9 Many have perished because of the beauty of a woman; and by this, desire is kindled like a fire. 10 Every woman who is a fornicator will be trampled down, like the filth in the street. 11 Many, by admiring the beauty of the wife of another, have become reprobate. For familiarity with her flares up like a fire. 12 You should not sit down at all with another man’s wife, nor recline with her on a couch. 13 And you should not argue with her over wine, lest perhaps your heart may turn toward her, and by your emotion, you would be toppled into perdition. 14 You should not abandon an old friend. For a new one will not be similar to him. 15 A new friend is like new wine. It will grow old, and then you will enjoy drinking it. 16 You should not envy the glory and wealth of a sinner. For you do not know what may be his undoing in the future. 17 The injury of the unjust should not please you, knowing that, until they are in hell, the impious will not please. 18 Keep yourself far from a man having the power to kill, and then you will not have the fear of death suspended over you. 19 But if you do approach him, do nothing to offend, lest perhaps he may take away your life. 20 Know that this is a communion with death. For you would be entering the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms of the grieving. 21 According to your ability, be cautious of your neighbor, and treat him as the wise and prudent would. 22 Let just men be your companions, and let your glory be in the fear of God. 23 And let the thought of God be in your mind, and let all your discourse be on the precepts of the Most High. 24 Works will be praised for the hands of the artists, and a leader of the people will be praised for the wisdom of his words, yet truly, the word of the elders will be praised for its understanding. 25 A man full of words is a dread to his city, but one who speaks rashly will be hated for his word.
Sirach · Catholic Public Domain Version
Sirach 9 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Whence too it is said in the Psalm, "They have laid stumblingblocks for me by the way side." And another Scripture saith, "Remember that thou walkest in the midst of snares." These snares among which we walk are not in the way; but yet they are "by the way side." What fearest thou, what art thou alarmed at, so thou …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
This even the ancient Scripture corrects from the first, saying, "Contemplate not beauty which is another's." And then, lest any one should say, "what then, if I contemplate, and be not taken captive," He punishes the look, lest confiding in this security thou shouldest some time fall into sin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… a better thing than a gift," and "answer the poor man peaceably with meekness." And all the rest of thy time too adorn it with the rehearsing of the laws of God; "Yea, let all thy communication be in the law of the Most High." Having thus adorned ourselves, let us come to our King, and fall at His knees, …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)