Sirach — Chapter 9
Guarded Desire and Wise Companionship
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Hebrew–Greek comparison and notes · III. Wisdom
9:1 Do not be jealous of the wife at your bosom, and do not teach her an evil lesson against yourself.
9:2 Do not give your soul to a woman so that she steps upon your strength.
9:3 Do not encounter a woman who acts as a courtesan, lest you fall into her traps.
9:4 Do not spend your time with a female musician, lest you be caught by her undertakings.
9:5 Do not study a virgin closely, lest you stumble into penalties on her account.
9:6 Do not give your soul to prostitutes, so that you do not lose your inheritance.
9:7 Do not look around in the streets of a city, or wander in its deserted places.
9:8 Turn your eye away from a shapely woman, and do not study another’s beauty closely. Many have been led astray by a woman’s beauty, and from it affection is kindled like fire.
9:9 Do not sit at all with a married woman or share a wine feast with her, lest your soul turn toward her and you slip in your spirit into destruction.
9:10 Do not abandon an old friend, for a recent one is not his equal. A new friend is new wine; when it has aged, you will drink it with gladness.
9:11 Do not envy a sinner’s glory, for you do not know what his downfall will be.
9:12 Do not take pleasure in the prosperity of the ungodly; remember that even down to Hades they will certainly not be acquitted.
9:13 Keep far away from a person who has authority to kill, and you will not suspect the fear of death. If you do approach him, do not offend, so that he does not take away your life. Recognize that you are crossing among traps and walking upon a city’s battlements.
9:14 To the best of your strength, take the measure of your neighbors, and seek counsel with the wise.
9:15 Let your deliberation be with people of understanding, and let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High.
9:16 Let righteous men be your table companions, and let your boast be in the fear of the Lord.
9:17 A work will be praised through the hand of craftsmen, and a leader of the people is wise through his speech.
9:18 A talkative man is feared in his city, and one who is rash in his speech will be hated.
Source and editorial notes
Working translation preserved from the recovered manuscript of 8 September 2026. Declared source: Septuaginta, Rahlfs–Hanhart, 2006, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, publisher’s Greek main text. Independent linguistic and critical-apparatus review remains outstanding. Source-access and reception claims in the inherited notes have not been freshly revalidated. Chapter and section headings are editorial.
The translator’s prologue is separate from the 51 chapters. Its eight source units map to publisher labels 1, 1a–1g; main-text 1:1 maps to 1h. Source 5:15 includes material often numbered 6:1, so chapter 6 begins at 6:2. Source label gaps are preserved; no text is invented.
9:1 The warning concerns jealous conduct that teaches the wrong lesson; the source’s bosom image is retained.
9:4 Female musician represents ψαλλούσης, a woman singing or playing a stringed instrument; no specific occupation beyond the source is added.
9:5 The difficult ἐν τοῖς ἐπιτιμίοις αὐτῆς is retained as penalties associated with her, not silently changed to charms or beauty.
9:8 Another’s beauty follows ἀλλότριον; affection renders φιλία here in an erotic warning, not every form of friendship.
9:9 Married woman is explicit; the ancient prohibition is translated without being widened into all social contact with women.
9:12 Down to Hades retains ἕως ᾅδου; the wording is not made to promise acquittal after death.
9:13 All three cautions and both danger images are retained.
9:17 The parallel between craft and a leader’s speech is preserved without adding an unprinted object of praise to the second clause.