Sirach 25

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹¹ Blessed 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.

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

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

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

¹⁵ Blessed 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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

²³ and 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.

²⁴ A 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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

³⁴ You 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.

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

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