Wisdom of Sirach 9

1 ΜΗ ζήλου γυναῖκα τοῦ κόλπου σου, μηδὲ διδάξῃς ἐπὶ σεαυτὸν παιδείαν πονηράν.

1 Be not jealous over the wife of your bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against yourself.

2 μὴ δῷς γυναικὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου ἐπιβῆναι αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἰσχύν σου.

2 Give not your soul to a woman to set her foot upon your substance.

3 μὴ ὑπάντα γυναικὶ ἑταιριζομένῃ, μήποτε ἐμπέσῃς εἰς τὰς παγίδας αὐτῆς.

3 Meet not with an harlot, lest you fall into her snares.

4 μετὰ ψαλλούσῃς μὴ ἐνδελέχιζε, μήποτε ἁλῷς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιχειρήμασιν αὐτῆς.

4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest you be taken with her attempts.

5 παρθένον μὴ καταμάνθανε, μήποτε σκανδαλισθῇς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις αὐτῆς.

5 Gaze not on a maid, that you fall not by those things that are precious in her.

6 μὴ δῷς πόρναις τὴν ψυχήν σου, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσῃς τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.

6 Give not your soul to harlots, that you lose not your inheritance.

7 μὴ περιβλέπου ἐν ρύμαις πόλεως καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις αὐτῆς μὴ πλανῶ.

7 Look not round about you in the streets of the city, neither wander you in the solitary place thereof.

8 ἀπόστρεψον ὀφθαλμὸν ἀπὸ γυναικὸς εὐμόρφου, καὶ μὴ καταμάνθανε κάλλος ἀλλότριον· ἐν κάλλει γυναικὸς πολλοὶ ἐπλανήθησαν, καὶ ἐκ τούτου φιλία ὡς πῦρ ἀνακαίεται.

8 Turn away your eye from a beautiful woman, and look not upon another's beauty; for many have been deceived by the beauty of a woman; for herewith love is kindled as a fire.

9 μετὰ ὑπάνδρου γυναικὸς μὴ κάθου τὸ σύνολον καὶ μὴ συμβολοκοπήσῃς μετ᾿ αὐτῆς ἐν οἴνῳ, μήποτε ἐκκλίνη ἡ ψυχή σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ πνεύματί σου ὀλισθήσῃς εἰς ἀπώλειαν.

9 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor sit down with her in your arms, and spend not your money with her at the wine; lest your heart incline to her, and so through your desire you fall into destruction.

10 μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς φίλον ἀρχαῖον, ὁ γὰρ πρόσφατος οὐκ ἔστιν ἔπισος αὐτῷ· οἶνος νέος φίλος νέος· ἐὰν παλαιωθῇ, μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης πίεσαι αὐτόν.

10 Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, you shall drink it with pleasure.

11 μὴ ζηλώσῃς δόξαν ἁμαρτωλοῦ, οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί ἔσται ἡ καταστροφὴ αὐτοῦ.

11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for you know not what shall be his end.

12 μὴ εὐδοκήσῃς ἐν εὐδοκίᾳ ἀσεβῶν· μνήσθητι ὅτι ἕως ᾅδου οὐ μὴ δικαιωθῶσι.

12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished to their grave.

13 μακρὰν ἄπεχε ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου, ὃς ἔχει ἐξουσίαν τοῦ φονεύειν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑποπτεύσῃς φόβον θανάτου· κἂν προσέλθῃς, μὴ πλημμελήσῃς, ἵνα μὴ ἀφέληται τὴν ζωήν σου· ἐπίγνωθι ὅτι ἐν μέσῳ παγίδων διαβαίνεις καὶ ἐπὶ ἐπάλξεων πόλεων περιπατεῖς.

13 Keep you far from the man that has power to kill; so shall you not doubt the fear of death: and if you come to him, make no fault, lest he take away your life presently: remember that you go in the midst of snares, and that you walk upon the battlements of the city.

14 κατὰ τὴν ἰσχύν σου στόχασαι τοὺς πλησίον καὶ μετὰ σοφῶν συμβουλεύου.

14 As near as you can, guess at your neighbour, and consult with the wise.

15 καὶ μετὰ συνετῶν ἔστω ὁ διαλογισμός σου καὶ πᾶσα διήγησίς σου ἐν νόμῳ Ὑψίστου.

15 Let your talk be with the wise, and all your communication in the law of the most High.

16 ἄνδρες δίκαιοι ἔστωσαν σύνδειπνοί σου, καὶ ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἔστω τὸ καύχημά σου.

16 And let just men eat and drink with you; and let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.

17 ἐν χειρὶ τεχνιτῶν ἔργον ἐπαινεθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος λαοῦ σοφὸς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ.

17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.

18 φοβερὸς ἐν πόλει αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ γλωσσώδης, καὶ ὁ προπετὴς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται.

18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.