Chapter 9

  Be not jealous over the wife of thy bosom, lest she shew in thy regard the malice of a wicked lesson.  

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  Give not the power of thy soul to a woman, lest she enter upon thy strength, and thou be confounded.  

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  Look not upon a woman that hath a mind for many: lest thou fall into her snares.  

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  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.  

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  Gaze not upon a maiden, lest her beauty be a stumblingblock to thee.  

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  Give not thy soul to harlots in any point: lest thou destroy thyself and thy inheritance.  

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  Look not round about thee in the of the city, nor wander up and down in the streets thereof.  

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  Turn away thy face from a woman dressed up, and gaze not about upon another's beauty.  

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  For many have perished by the beauty of a woman, and hereby lust is enkindled as a fire.  

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  Every woman that is a harlot, shall be trodden upon as dung in the way.  

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  Many by admiring the beauty of another man's wife, have become reprobate, for her conversation burneth as fire.  

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  Sit not at all with another man's wife, nor repose upon the bed with her:  

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  And strive not with her over wine, lest thy heart decline towards her, and by thy blood thou fall into destruction.  

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  Forsake not an old friend, for the new will not be like to him.  

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  A new friend is as new wine: it shall grow old, and thou shalt drink it with pleasure.  

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  Envy not the glory and riches of a sinner: for thou knowest not what his ruin shall be.  

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  Be not pleased with the wrong done by the unjust, knowing that even to hell the wicked shall not please.  

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  Keep thee far from the man that hath power to kill, so thou shalt not suspect the fear of death.  

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  And if thou come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away thy life.  

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  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:  

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  According to thy power beware of thy neighbor, and treat with the wise and prudent.  

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  Let just men be thy guests, and let thy glory be in the fear of God.  

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  And let the thought of God be in thy mind, and all thy discourse on the commandments of the Highest.  

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  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.  

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  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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