Sirach 9:1-18: a reflection

1Don’t be jealous over the wife of your bosom, and don’t teach her an evil lesson against yourself. 2Don’t give your soul to a woman and let her trample down your strength. 3Don’t go to meet a woman who plays the prostitute, lest perhaps you fall into her snares. 4Don’t associate with a woman who is a singer, lest perhaps you be caught by her tricks. 5Don’t gaze at a virgin, lest perhaps you stumble and incur penalties for her. 6Don’t give your soul to prostitutes, that you not lose your inheritance. 7Don’t look around in the streets of the city. Don’t wander in its deserted places. 8Turn your eye away from a beautiful woman, and don’t gaze at another’s beauty. Many have been led astray by the beauty of a woman; and with this, passion is kindled like a fire. 9Don’t dine at all with a woman who has a husband, or revel with her at wine, lest perhaps your soul turn away to her, and with your spirit you slide into destruction. 10Don’t forsake an old friend; for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend is like new wine: if it becomes old, you will drink it with gladness. 11Don’t envy the success of a sinner; for you don’t know what his end will be. 12Don’t delight in the delights of the ungodly. Remember they will not go unpunished to the grave. 13Keep yourself far from the man who has power to kill, and you will not be troubled by the fear of death. If you come to him, commit no fault, lest he take away your life. Know surely that you go about in the midst of snares, and walk upon the battlements of a city. 14As well as you can, aim to know your neighbors, and take counsel with the wise. 15Let your conversation be with men of understanding. Let all your discourse be in the law of the Most High. 16Let righteous people be companions at your table. Let your glorying be in the fear of the Lord. 17A work is commended because of the skill of the artisan; so he who rules the people will be considered wise for his speech. 18A loudmouthed man is dangerous in his city. He who is reckless in his speech will be hated.

Among the sage's counsels are wise words about friends and companions: do not forsake an old friend for a new one, and let your companions be good and wise. Don't forsake an old friend, the sage says; for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend is like new wine: if it becomes old, you will drink it with gladness. And he adds: let righteous people be companions at your table; let your conversation be with those of understanding. The sage values old, tried friendships, which have proven themselves over time, above the untested appeal of the new; and he counsels us to choose good and wise companions, whose company shapes us well. Friends and companions matter, and are to be chosen and kept with care. This shows valuing old friendships and choosing good, wise companions. Value your old, tried friendships; do not lightly forsake them for the new. Choose good and wise companions, whose company shapes you well. An old friend, proven over time, is not easily replaced. The company you keep matters; choose it with care.

Notice two pieces of counsel about friends and companions. First, about old friends: don't forsake an old friend, for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend, the sage says, is like new wine; it may become good with age, but an old friend, like aged wine, has already proven himself over years of shared life, tested and trusted. Such an old, tried friendship is a treasure not lightly to be abandoned for the fresh appeal of the new. Second, about companions generally: let righteous people be your companions, let your conversation be with those of understanding. The sage knows that the company we keep shapes us; so he counsels us to choose good, wise, righteous companions, whose company forms us well, rather than those who would drag us down. This holds practical wisdom about friendship and company. Old, tried friendships, proven over time, are of great worth; we do well to value and keep them, not lightly abandoning a faithful old friend for the untested appeal of someone new. And the company we keep matters more than we often think; choosing good and wise companions, whose influence is for our good, is wiser than drifting into whatever company is at hand. Friends and companions are not a small matter; they shape our lives, and are to be chosen and kept with care and wisdom. We do well to value our old, tried friendships and to choose good, wise companions, mindful that the company we keep shapes us. Value your old, tried friendships; do not abandon them lightly for the new. Choose good and wise companions, for the company you keep shapes you. A faithful old friend, proven over time, is a treasure. Give care and wisdom to the friends and companions you keep.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to value old friendships and choose good, wise companions, as the sage counsels. We can lightly abandon old friends for the new, or drift into whatever company is at hand; but the sage values the tried old friend and counsels choosing wise, good companions. Choose with care. Do not lightly forsake a faithful old friend for the untested new; and choose good, wise companions, mindful that the company you keep shapes you. Value your old, tried friendships and do not lightly abandon them for the new, and choose good and wise companions mindful that the company you keep shapes you, as among the sage's counsels are wise words about friends and companions, not to forsake an old friend for a new one and to let your companions be good and wise, saying an old friend is not to be forsaken since a new one is not comparable, a new friend being like new wine that may become good with age while an old friend is like aged wine already proven, and adding that righteous people should be companions at your table and your conversation be with those of understanding; for the sage values old, tried friendships which have proven themselves over time above the untested appeal of the new, and counsels us to choose good and wise companions whose company shapes us well, since friends and companions matter and are to be chosen and kept with care, which holds practical wisdom about friendship and company, since old, tried friendships proven over time are of great worth and we do well to value and keep them rather than lightly abandoning a faithful old friend for the untested appeal of someone new, and the company we keep matters more than we often think, so that choosing good and wise companions whose influence is for our good is wiser than drifting into whatever company is at hand, friends and companions not being a small matter but shaping our lives and to be chosen and kept with care and wisdom, so that we do well to value our old, tried friendships and choose good, wise companions.

Lord, among the sage's counsels are wise words about friends and companions: do not forsake an old friend for a new one, and let my companions be good and wise. Don't forsake an old friend, the sage says; for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend is like new wine: if it becomes old, you will drink it with gladness. And he adds: let righteous people be companions at your table; let your conversation be with those of understanding. The sage values old, tried friendships, which have proven themselves over time, above the untested appeal of the new; and he counsels me to choose good and wise companions, whose company shapes me well. Show me these two pieces of counsel about friends and companions. First, about old friends: don't forsake an old friend, for a new one is not comparable to him. A new friend may become good with age, but an old friend has already proven himself over years of shared life, tested and trusted. Such an old, tried friendship is a treasure not lightly to be abandoned for the fresh appeal of the new. Second, about companions: let righteous people be my companions, let my conversation be with those of understanding. The sage knows that the company I keep shapes me; so he counsels me to choose good, wise, righteous companions, whose company forms me well. This holds practical wisdom. Old, tried friendships, proven over time, are of great worth; I do well to value and keep them, not lightly abandoning a faithful old friend. And the company I keep matters more than I often think; choosing good and wise companions is wiser than drifting into whatever company is at hand. Take that to my heart. Keep me from lightly forsaking a faithful old friend for the untested new; help me value my old, tried friendships, Lord, and choose good and wise companions, mindful that the company I keep shapes me, giving care and wisdom to the friends and companions I keep.