Sirach 11:29-34

Good News Translation

Be Careful in Choosing Friends

²⁹ Be careful about the kind of person you invite into your home, because clever people can fool you in many ways. ³⁰ A proud person is a decoy to lure you into danger; like a spy, he will look for your weaknesses.^{[a] 31} He will make good appear evil and find fault with the noblest actions. ³² A single spark can set a pile of coals ablaze, and a sinner is just waiting for a chance to do violence. ³³ Watch out for such people and their evil plans; they will ruin you permanently. ³⁴ If you bring a stranger home with you, it will only cause trouble, even between you and your own family.