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Sirach 9

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Sirach chapter 9 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.

Patristic commentary for this chapter has not yet been attached. Related material may be found among the Church Fathers and the theology tables.

Sirach 9

1Be not jealous over the wife of your bosom, and teach her not an evil lesson against yourself.Μὴ ζήλου γυναῖκα τοῦ κόλπου σου, μηδὲ διδάξῃς ἐπὶ σεαυτὸν παιδείαν πονηράν.

2Give not your soul to a woman to set her foot upon your substance.Μὴ δῷς γυναικὶ τὴν ψυχήν σου, ἐπιβῆναι αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν ἰσχύν σου.

3Meet not with an harlot, lest you fall into her snares.Μὴ ὑπάντα γυναικὶ ἑταιριζομένῃ, μήποτε ἐμπέσῃς εἰς τὰς παγίδας αὐτῆς.

4Use not much the company of a woman that is a singer, lest you be taken with her attempts.Μετὰ ψαλλούσης μὴ ἐνδελέχιζε, μήποτε ἁλῷς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιχειρήμασιν αὐτῆς.

5Gaze not on a maid, that you fall not by those things that are precious in her.Παρθένον μὴ καταμάνθανε, μήποτε σκανδαλισθῇς ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις αὐτῆς.

6Give not your soul to harlots, that you lose not your inheritance.Μὴ δῷς πόρναις τὴν ψυχήν σου, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσῃς τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.

7Look not round about you in the streets of the city, neither wander you in the solitary place thereof.Μὴ περιβλέπου ἐν ῥύμαις πόλεως, καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐρήμοις αὐτῆς μὴ πλανῶ.

8Turn away your 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.Ἀπόστρεψον ὀφθαλμὸν ἀπὸ γυναικὸς εὐμόρφου, καὶ μὴ καταμάνθανε κάλλος ἀλλότριον· ἐν κάλλει γυναικὸς πολλοὶ ἐπλανήθησαν, καὶ ἐκ τούτου φιλία ὡς πῦρ ἀνακαίεται.

9Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor sit down with her in your arms, and spend not your money with her at the wine; lest your heart incline to her, and so through your desire you fall into destruction.Μετὰ ὑπάνδρου γυναικὸς μὴ κάθου τὸ σύνολον, καὶ μὴ συμβολοκοπήσῃς μετʼ αὐτῆς ἐν οἴνῳ, μήποτε ἐκκλίνῃ ἡ ψυχή σου ἐπʼ αὐτὴν, καὶ τῷ πνεύματί σου ὀλισθήσῃς εἰς ἀπώλειαν.

10Forsake not an old friend; for the new is not comparable to him: a new friend is as new wine; when it is old, you shall drink it with pleasure.Μὴ ἐγκαταλίπῃς φίλον ἀρχαῖον, ὁ γὰρ πρόσφατος οὐκ ἔστιν ἔφισος αὐτῷ· οἶνος νέος, φίλος νέος, ἐὰν παλαιωθῇ, μετʼ εὐφροσύνης πίεσαι αὐτόν.

11Envy not the glory of a sinner: for you know not what shall be his end.Μὴ ζηλώσῃς δόξαν ἁμαρτωλοῦ, οὐ γὰρ οἶδας τί ἔσται ἡ καταστροφὴ αὐτοῦ.

12Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished to their grave.Μὴ εὐδοκήσῃς ἐν εὐδοκίᾳ ἀσεβῶν, μνήσθητι ὅτι ἕως ᾅδου οὐ μὴ δικαιωθῶσι.

13Keep you far from the man that has power to kill; so shall you not doubt the fear of death: and if you come to him, make no fault, lest he take away your life presently: remember that you go in the midst of snares, and that you walk upon the battlements of the city.Μακρὰν ἄπεχε ἀπὸ ἀνθρώπου ὃς ἔχει ἐξουσιαν τοῦ φονεύειν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὑποπτεύσῃς φόβον θανάτου· κᾂν προσέλθῃς, μὴ πλημμελήσῃς, ἵνα μὴ ἀφέληται τὴν ζωήν σου· ἐπίγνωθι ὅτι ἐν μέσῳ παγίδων διαβαίνεις, καὶ ἐπὶ ἐπάλξεων πόλεων περιπατεῖς.

14As near as you can, guess at your neighbor, and consult with the wise.Κατὰ τὴν ἰσχύν σου στόχασαι τοὺς πλησίον, καὶ μετὰ σοφῶν συμβουλεύου.

15Let your talk be with the wise, and all your communication in the law of the most High.Καὶ μετὰ συνετῶν ἔστω ὁ διαλογισμός σου, καὶ πᾶσα διήγησίς σου ἐν νόμῳ ὑψίστου.

16And let just men eat and drink with you; and let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord.Ἄνδρες δίκαιοι ἔστωσαν σύνδειπνοί σου, καὶ ἐν φόβῳ Κυρίου ἔστω τὸ καύχημά σου.

17For the hand of the artificer the work shall be commended: and the wise ruler of the people for his speech.Ἐν χειρὶ τεχνιτῶν ἔργον ἐπαινεθήσεται, καὶ ὁ ἡγούμενος λαοῦ σοφὸς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ.

18A man of an ill tongue is dangerous in his city; and he that is rash in his talk shall be hated.Φοβερὸς ἐν πόλει αὐτοῦ ἀνὴρ γλωσσώδης, καὶ ὁ προπετὴς ἐν λόγῳ αὐτοῦ μισηθήσεται.

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