Chapter 9
Advice Concerning Women[a]
1 Do not be jealous of your beloved wife,
or you may thereby encourage her to cause you harm.[b]
2 Let no woman gain power over you
and thereby trample underfoot your strength.
3 Do not approach a loose woman,
lest you become entangled in her snares.
4 Do not dally with a singer,
lest you be trapped by her wiles.
5 Do not harbor lustful thoughts against a virgin,
or you may incur punishment on account of her.
6 Do not give yourself to prostitutes,
lest you suffer the loss of your inheritance.
7 Do not let your gaze stray through the streets of a city,
or wander around its deserted areas.
8 Turn away your eyes from a comely woman,
and do not stare at the beauty of another’s wife.
Many have been destroyed as a result of a woman’s beauty,
which causes passion to flare up like a fire.
9 Never dine with a married woman,
or join her to drink some wine,
lest you allow your heart to succumb to her
and in your passion plunge to your destruction.
Watch Your Relationships with Others[c]
10 Do not abandon an old friend,
for a new one will not adequately replace him.
A new friend is like new wine;
only when it has sufficiently aged can you drink it with pleasure.
11 Do not envy the success of a sinner,
for you can never be sure what his end will be.
12 Take no delight in the pleasures of an ungodly man;
remember that before his death he will endure some retribution.
13 Keep far removed from anyone who has the power to kill,
and you will not be haunted by the fear of death.
However, should you approach him, make no false step,
or he may take your life.
Realize that you are treading among snares
and walking on the battlements of the city.
14 To the best of your ability, become knowledgeable about your neighbors,
and consult with those who are wise.
15 Engage in conversation with one who is sensible,
and devote all of your discussions to the law of the Most High.
16 Choose honorable men for your dinner companions,
and let your glory be in the fear of God.
17 Artisans are praised for the skill of their hands,
but a leader of the people is esteemed for his words of wisdom.
18 One who speaks incessantly is feared in his city,
and one who is rash in his speech is despised.
Footnotes
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 9:1 The tradition of the sages of the East seems unanimous in placing naive souls on guard against feminine charms. Strongly marked by the society and mentality of that time, these counsels have not lost all value today; indeed, human relations are not simply a futile game, and sexuality should not be treated as something banal. Moreover, the fidelity of those who love one another cannot be achieved without some vigilance to guard one’s eyes and heart from easy and dangerous desires.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 9:1 A husband’s jealousy may poison the marital relationship and lead the wife to do the very thing he was worried about in the first place.
- Wisdom of Ben Sira 9:10 It is wise not to run to judgment and to choose well those with whom one consorts. The climate of intrigues that surrounds all ambition for power and success had so scandalized the author that he is unable to refrain from evincing a serious pessimism.