Good News Bible Anglicised

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 9:4-12 Good News Bible Anglicised (GNBDC)

4. Don't keep company with female musicians; they will trick you.

5. Don't look too intently at a virgin, or you may find yourself forced to pay a bride price.

6. Don't give yourself to prostitutes, or you may lose everything you own.

7. So don't go looking about in the streets or wandering round in the run-down parts of town.

8. When you see a good-looking woman, look the other way; don't let your mind dwell on the beauty of any woman who is not your wife. Many men have been led astray by a woman's beauty. It kindles passion as if it were fire.

9. Don't sit down to eat with another man's wife or join her for a drink. You may give in to the temptation of her charms and be destroyed by your passion.

10. Never abandon an old friend; you will never find a new one who can take their place. Friendship is like wine; it gets better as it grows older.

11. Don't be jealous of a sinner's success; you don't know what kind of disaster is in store for him.

12. Don't take pleasure in the things that make ungodly people happy; remember that they will be held guilty as long as they live.