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Ecclesiasticus
9
Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she
shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.
Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she
enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.
Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest
thou fall into her snares.
Use not much the company of her that is a dancer, and
hearken not to her, lest thou perish by the force of
her charms.
Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock
to thee.
Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou
destroy thyself and thy inheritance.
Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander
up and down in the streets thereof.
Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze
not about upon another's beauty.
For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and
hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.
Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon
as dung in the way.
Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have
become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.
Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon
the bed with her:
And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline
towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.
Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like
to him.
A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and
thou shalt drink it with pleasure.
Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou
knowest not what his ruin shall be.
Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing
that even to hell the wicked shall not please.
Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill,
so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.
And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take
away thy life.
Know it to be a communication with death: for thou art
going in the midst of snares, and walking upon the arms
of them that are grieved:
According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat
with the wise and prudent.
Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in
the fear of God.
And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy
discourse on the commandments of the Highest.
Works shall be praised for the hand of the artificers,
and the prince of the people for the wisdom of his speech,
but word of the ancients for the sense.
A man full of tongue is terrible in his city, and he
that is rash in his word shall be hateful.
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