Regarding Women

¹Don’t be jealous of the wife you love

or teach her wicked ways she can use to repay you.

²Don’t give yourself to a woman,

for she may dominate you completely.

³Don’t go near a promiscuous woman,

or you will fall into her snares.

⁴Don’t spend time with a dancing girl,

or you will succumb to her charms.

⁵Don’t stare at a young girl,

or you might sleep with her and have to pay a penalty.

⁶Don’t sleep with prostitutes,

or you might lose your inheritance.

⁷Don’t look around the streets of a city

or wander up and down in its deserted places.

⁸Turn your eyes away from a shapely woman,

and don’t stare at beauty that belongs to another.

For many have been seduced by a woman’s beauty,

and passion then becomes a roaring fire.

⁹Don’t have dinner with another man’s wife

or spend time with her drinking wine,

for you might fall in love with her

and come to ruin because of your passion.

Keeping Good Company

¹⁰Don’t forsake old friends,

for new ones will not compare to them.

A new friend is like new wine;

when it has aged, you drink it with pleasure.

¹¹Don’t envy the success of sinners,

for you don’t know what is in store for them.

¹²Don’t seek after the pleasures of the ungodly;

remember, they will eventually be punished before they die.

¹³Keep far from those who have the power to kill,

and you will have no worry about death.

But if you must approach them, be careful not to offend them,

or they may kill you.

Realize that you are stepping among traps

and walking along the edge of a cliff.

¹⁴Know your neighbor as well as you can,

and consult with the wise.

¹⁵Look for intelligent people to talk with;

always discuss the law of the Most High.

¹⁶Choose the righteous to be your dinner companions,

and let your boasting be in the fear of the Lord.

¹⁷A work is praised for the skill of the artisan,

and a leader is praised for the wisdom of his speech.

¹⁸Loudmouths are feared in their city,

and those who speak recklessly are hated.