Sirach · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Sirach 9 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
DRB Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.
1 Don’t be jealous over the wife of your bosom, and don’t teach her an evil lesson against yourself.
2 Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.
2 Don’t give your soul to a woman and let her trample down your strength.
3 Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.
3 Don’t go to meet a woman who plays the prostitute, lest perhaps you fall into 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 Don’t associate with a woman who is a singer, lest perhaps you be caught by her tricks.
5 Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.
5 Don’t gaze at a virgin, lest perhaps you stumble and incur penalties for her.
6 Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.
6 Don’t give your soul to prostitutes, that you not lose your inheritance.
7 Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.
7 Don’t look around in the streets of the city. Don’t wander in its deserted places.
8 Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another’s beauty.
8 Turn your eye away from a beautiful woman, and don’t gaze at another’s beauty. Many have been led astray by the beauty of a woman; and with this, passion is kindled like a fire.
9 For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.
9 Don’t dine at all with a woman who has a husband, or revel with her at wine, lest perhaps your soul turn away to her, and with your spirit you slide into destruction.
10 Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.
10 Don’t forsake an old friend; for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend is like new wine: if it becomes old, you will drink it with gladness.
11 Many by admiring the beauty of another man’s wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.
11 Don’t envy the success of a sinner; for you don’t know what his end will be.
12 Sit not at all with another man’s wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:
12 Don’t delight in the delights of the ungodly. Remember they will not go unpunished to the grave.
13 And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.
13 Keep yourself far from the man who has power to kill, and you will not be troubled by the fear of death. If you come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away your life. Know surely that you go about in the midst of snares, and walk upon the battlements of a city.
14 Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.
14 As well as you can, aim to know your neighbors, and take counsel with the wise.
15 A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.
15 Let your conversation be with men of understanding. Let all your discourse be in 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 Let righteous people be companions at your table. Let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.
17 Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.
17 A work is commended because of the skill of the artisan; so he who rules the people will be considered wise for his speech.
18 Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.
18 A loudmouthed man is dangerous in his city. He who is reckless in his speech will be hated.
19 And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.
19 Not in this translation
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:
20 Not in this translation
21 According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent.
21 Not in this translation
22 Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.
22 Not in this translation
23 And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.
23 Not in this translation
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.
24 Not in this translation
25 A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he that is rash in his word shall be hateful.
25 Not in this translation
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)