Sirach 9

1Do not be jealous of the wife of your bosom And so teach her an evil lesson about yourself.

μὴ ζήλου γυναῖκα τοῦ κόλπου σου μηδὲ διδάξῃς ἐπὶ σεαυτὸν παιδείαν πονηράν

2Do not give your soul to a woman To let her trample on your strength.

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

3Do not meet with a woman who is a courtesan, Lest you fall into her snares.

μὴ ὑπάντα γυναικὶ ἑταιριζομένῃ μήποτε ἐμπέσῃς εἰς τὰς παγίδας αὐτῆς

4Do not associate with a dancing-girl, Lest you be caught in her schemes.

μετὰ ψαλλούσης μὴ ἐνδελέχιζε μήποτε ἁλῷς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιχειρήμασιν αὐτῆς

5Do not gaze at a virgin, Lest you stumble and pay damages for her.

παρθένον μὴ καταμάνθανε μήποτε σκανδαλισθῇς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις αὐτῆς

6Do not give your soul to prostitutes, Lest you destroy your inheritance.

μὴ δῷς πόρναις τὴν ψυχήν σου ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσῃς τὴν κληρονομίαν σου

7Do not look around in the streets of a city, And do not wander about in its deserted sections.

μὴ περιβλέπου ἐν ῥύμαις πόλεως καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις αὐτῆς μὴ πλανῶ

8Turn your eye away from a woman with a shapely figure, And do not gaze at beauty belonging to another. Many have been led astray by the beauty of a woman, And erotic love is like a burning fire.

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

9Never dine with another man's wife, And do not share in parties with her over wine, Lest your soul turn aside to her, And you slip and with your spirit fall into destruction.

μετὰ ὑπάνδρου γυναικὸς μὴ κάθου τὸ σύνολον καὶ μὴ συμβολοκοπήσῃς μετ᾿ αὐτῆς ἐν οἴνῳ μήποτε ἐκκλίνῃ ἡ ψυχή σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτὴν καὶ τῷ πνεύματί σου ὀλίσθῃς εἰς ἀπώλειαν

10Do not forsake an old friend, For a new one is not equal with him. A new friend is like new wine; Drink it with pleasure only after it ages.

μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς φίλον ἀρχαῖον ὁ γὰρ πρόσφατος οὐκ ἔστιν ἔφισος αὐτῷ οἶνος νέος φίλος νέος ἐὰν παλαιωθῇ μετ᾿ εὐφροσύνης πίεσαι αὐτόν

11Do not envy the honor given a sinner, For you do not know what his end will be.

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

12Do not delight in the pleasure of the ungodly; Remember, they will not be declared righteous even in Hades.

μὴ εὐδοκήσῃς ἐν εὐδοκίᾳ ἀσεβῶν μνήσθητι ὅτι ἕως ᾅδου οὐ μὴ δικαιωθῶσιν

13Keep far away from a man who has the power to kill, And you will not be anxious about the fear of death. But if you come near him, do not offend him, Lest he take away your life. Know that you are stepping in the midst of snares And walking about the battlements of a city.

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 πόλεως περιπατεῖς

14Evaluate your neighbors as best you can And consult with those who are wise.

κατὰ τὴν ἰσχύν σου στόχασαι τοὺς πλησίον καὶ μετὰ σοφῶν συμβουλεύου

15Let your reasoning be with those who are wise, And let all your talk be about the law of the Most High.

μετὰ συνετῶν ἔστω ὁ διαλογισμός σου καὶ πᾶσα διήγησίς σου ἐν νόμῳ ὑψίστου

16Let righteous men be your dinner companions, And let your boasting be in the fear of the Lord.

ἄνδρες δίκαιοι ἔστωσαν σύνδειπνοί σου καὶ ἐν φόβῳ κυρίου ἔστω τὸ καύχημά σου

17A work will be praised for the skill of its craftsmen, And a wise leader of people for the skill of his words.

ἐν χειρὶ τεχνιτῶν ἔργον ἐπαινεσθήσεται καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος λαοῦ σοφὸς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ

18A talkative man is regarded with fear in his city, And a man who is reckless in his speech will be hated. A wise leader will educate his people, And the rule of an intelligent man will be well ordered.

φοβερὸς ἐν πόλει αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ γλωσσώδης καὶ ὁ προπετὴς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται