Skip to content

Ecclesiasticus / Sirach - Chapter 9

1 Do not be jealous of the wife you love, do not teach her lessons in how to harm you.

2 Do not put yourself in a woman's hands or she may come to dominate you completely.

3 Do not keep company with a prostitute, in case you get entangled in her snares.

4 Do not dally with a singing girl, in case you get caught by her wiles.

5 Do not stare at a pretty girl, in case you and she incur the same punishment.

6 Do not give your heart to whores, or you will ruin your inheritance.

7 Keep your eyes to yourself in the streets of a town, do not prowl about its unfrequented quarters.

8 Turn your eyes away from a handsome woman, do not stare at a beauty belonging to someone else. Because of a woman's beauty, many have been undone; this makes passion flare up like a fire.

9 Never sit down with a married woman, or sit at table with her drinking wine, in case you let your heart succumb to her and you lose all self-control and slide to disaster.

10 Do not desert an old friend; the new one will not be his match. New friend, new wine; when it grows old, you drink it with pleasure.

11 Do not envy the sinner his success; you do not know how that will end.

12 Do not take pleasure in what pleases the godless; remember they will not go unpunished here below.

13 Keep your distance from the man who has the power to put to death, and you will not be haunted by the fear of dying. If you do approach him, make no false move, or he may take your life. Realise that you are treading among trip-lines, that you are strolling on the battlements.

14 Cultivate your neighbours to the best of your ability, and consult with the wise.

15 For conversation seek the intelligent, let all your discussions bear on the law of the Most High.

16 Have the upright for your table companions, and let your pride be in fearing the Lord.

17 Work from skilled hands will earn its praise, but a leader of the people must be skilful in words.

18 A chatterbox is a terror to his town, a loose talker is detested.

Book of Ecclesiasticus / Sirach Chapters

More Bible

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Online / Mobile Friendly Bible Classes Free for anyone, anywhere

Enroll free Now

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Prayer of the Day logo
Saint of the Day logo

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.