Sirach 9
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1 Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against thyself.
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2 Give not thy soul unto a woman to set her foot upon thy substance.
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3 Meet not with an harlot, lest thou fall into her snares.
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4 Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest thou be taken with her attempts.
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5 Gaze not on a maid, that thou fall not by those things that are precious in her.
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6 Give not thy soul unto harlots, that thou lose not thine inheritance.
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7 Look not round about thee in the streets of the city, neither wander thou in the solitary place thereof.
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8 Turn away thine 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.
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9 Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor sit down with her in thine arms, and spend not thy money with her at the wine; lest thine heart incline unto her, and so through thy desire thou fall into destruction.
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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, thou shalt drink it with pleasure.
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11 Envy not the glory of a sinner: for thou knowest not what shall be his end.
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12 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.
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13 Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill; so shalt thou not doubt the fear of death: and if thou come unto him, make no fault, lest he take away thy life presently: remember that thou goest in the midst of snares, and that thou walkest upon the battlements of the city.
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14 As near as thou canst, guess at thy neighbour, and consult with the wise.
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15 Let thy talk be with the wise, and all thy communication in the law of the most High.
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16 And let just men eat and drink with thee; and let thy glorying be in the fear of the Lord.
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17 For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.
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18 A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.