Sirach 25

¹My spirit is pleased with three things; these are approved in the sight of God and men:

²the harmony of brothers, and the love of neighbors, and a husband and wife agreeing well together.

³My soul hates three kinds of things; and I am greatly distressed over their souls:

⁴an arrogant pauper, a wealthy liar, a foolish and senseless elder.

⁵The things that you have not obtained in your youth, how will you find them in your old age?

⁶How beautiful it is for a grey head to have judgment, and for elders to know counsel!

⁷How beautiful it is for those who are aged to have wisdom, and for those who are honored to have understanding and counsel!

⁸Great experience is the crown of the aged, and the fear of God is their glory.

⁹I have magnified nine things, overlooked by the heart; and a tenth, I will declare to men with my tongue:

¹⁰a man who finds joy in his children, and one who lives to see the undoing of his enemies.

¹¹Blessed is he who lives with a wise wife, and he who has not slipped with his tongue, and he who has not served those unworthy of himself.

¹²Blessed is he who finds a true friend, and he who describes justice to an attentive ear.

¹³How great is he who finds wisdom and knowledge! But there is no one above him who fears the Lord.

¹⁴The fear of God has set itself above all things.

¹⁵Blessed is the man to whom it has been given to have the fear of God. He who holds to it, to whom can he be compared?

¹⁶The fear of God is the beginning of his love; and the beginning of faith has been joined closely to the same.

¹⁷The sadness of the heart is every wound. And the wickedness of a wife is every malice.

¹⁸And a man will choose any wound, but the wound of the heart,

¹⁹and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a wife,

²⁰and any obstacle, but the obstacle of those who hate him,

²¹and any vindication, but the vindication of his enemies.

²²There is no head worse than the head of a serpent,

²³and there is no anger above the anger of a wife. It would be more agreeable to abide with a lion or a dragon, than to live with a wicked wife.

²⁴A wicked wife changes her face. And she darkens her countenance like a bear. And she displays it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbors,

²⁵her husband groans, and hearing of this, he sighs a little.

²⁶All malice is brief compared to the malice of a wife. Let the fate of sinners fall upon her!

²⁷As climbing over sand is to the feet of the aged, so is a talkative wife to a quiet man.

²⁸You should not favor a woman’s beauty, and you should not desire a wife for her beauty.

²⁹The anger and disrespect and shame from a wife can be great.

³⁰The wife, if she has primacy, is set against her husband.

³¹A wicked wife debases the heart, and saddens the face, and wounds the heart.

³²A wife who does not make her husband happy enfeebles the hands and weakens the knees.

³³The beginning of sin came from a woman; and through her, we all die.

³⁴You should not provide an exit to your water, not even a little; nor should you give permission for a wicked wife to exceed the limit.

³⁵If she will not walk at your hand, she will confound you in the sight of your enemies.

³⁶Tear her away from your body, lest she abuse you continually.

Sirach 25

¹With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men:

²The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together.

³Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life:

⁴A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting.

⁵The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age?

⁶O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel!

⁷O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour!

⁸Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.

⁹Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue.

¹⁰A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies.

¹¹Blessed is he that dwelleth with a wise woman, and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him.

¹²Blessed is he that findeth a true friend, and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth.

¹³How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord.

¹⁴The fear of God hath set itself above all things:

¹⁵Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened?

¹⁶The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it.

¹⁷The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil.

¹⁸And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart:

¹⁹And any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman:

²⁰And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him:

²¹And any revenge, but the revenge of enemies.

²²There is no head worse than the head of a serpent:

²³And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.

²⁴The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and sheweth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours,

²⁵Her husband groaned, and hearing he sighed a little.

²⁶All malice is short to the malice of a woman, let the lot of sinners fall upon her.

²⁷As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man.

²⁸Look not upon a woman's beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty.

²⁹A woman's anger, and impudence, and confusion is great.

³⁰A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband.

³¹A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart.

³²Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy.

³³From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die.

³⁴Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.

³⁵If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies.

³⁶Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee.