Sirach Chapter 9

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Non zeles mulierem sinus tui, ne ostendat super te malitiam doctrinæ nequam.

2 Non des mulieri potestatem animæ tuæ, ne ingrediatur in virtutem tuam, et confundaris.

3 Ne respicias mulierem multivolam: ne forte incidas in laqueos illius.

4 Cum saltatrice ne assiduus sis: nec audias illam, ne forte pereas in efficacia illius.

5 Virginem ne conspicias, ne forte scandalizeris in decore illius.

6 Ne des fornicariis animam tuam in ullo: ne perdas te, et hereditatem tuam.

7 Noli circumspicere in vicis civitatis, nec oberraveris in plateis illius.

8 Averte faciem tuam a muliere compta, et ne circumspicias speciem alienam.

9 propter speciem mulieris multi perierunt: et ex hoc concupiscentia quasi ignis exardescit.

10 Omnis mulier, quæ est fornicaria, quasi stercus in via conculcabitur.

11 Speciem mulieris alienæ multi admirati, reprobi facti sunt. colloquium enim illius quasi ignis exardescit.

12 Cum aliena muliere ne sedeas omnino, nec accumbas cum ea super cubitum:

13 et non alterceris cum illa in vino, ne forte declinet cor tuum in illam, et sanguine tuo labaris in perditionem.

14 Ne derelinquas amicum antiquum: novus enim non erit similis illi.

15 Vinum novum, amicus novus: veterascet, et cum suavitate bibes illud.

16 Non zeles gloriam, et opes peccatoris: non enim scis quæ futura sit illius subversio.

17 Non placeat tibi iniuria iniustorum, sciens quoniam usque ad inferos non placebit impius.

18 Longe abesto ab homine potestatem habente occidendi, et non suspicaberis timorem mortis.

19 et si accesseris ad illum, noli aliquid committere, ne forte auferat vitam tuam.

20 Communionem mortis scito: quoniam in medio laqueorum ingredieris, et super dolentium arma ambulabis.

21 Secundum virtutem tuam cave te a proximo tuo, et cum sapientibus et prudentibus tracta.

22 Viri iusti sint tibi convivæ, et in timore Dei sit tibi gloriatio,

23 et in sensu sit tibi cogitatus Dei, et omnis enarratio tua in præceptis Altissimi.

24 In manu artificum opera laudabuntur, et princeps populi in sapientia sermonis sui, in sensu vero seniorum verbum.

25 Terribilis est in civitate sua homo linguosus: et temerarius in verbo suo odibilis erit.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).