| 1 There are three things my soul delights in, and which are delightful to God and to all people: concordbetween brothers, friendship between neighbours, and a wife and husband who live happily together. |
| 2 There are three sorts of people my soul hates, and whose existence I consider an outrage: the poorswol en with pride, the rich who is a liar and an adulterous old man who has no sense. |
| 3 If you have gathered nothing in your youth, how can you discover anything in your old age? |
| 4 How fine a thing: sound judgement with grey hairs, and for greybeards to know how to advise! |
| 5 How fine a thing: wisdom in the aged, and considered advice coming from people of distinction! |
| 6 The crown of the aged is ripe experience, their glory, the fear of the Lord. |
| 7 There are nine things I can think of which strike me as happy, and a tenth which is now on my tongue:the man who can be proud of his children, he who lives to see the downfal of his enemies; |
| 8 happy is he who keeps house with a sensible wife; he who does not toil with ox and donkey; he whohas never sinned with his tongue; he who does not serve a man less worthy than himself; |
| 9 happy is he who has acquired good sense and can find attentive ears for what he has to say; |
| 10 how great is he who has acquired wisdom; but unsurpassed is one who fears the Lord. |
| 11 The fear of the Lord surpasses everything; what can compare with someone who has mastered that? |
| 12 |
| 13 Any wound rather than a wound of the heart! Any spite rather than the spite of woman! |
| 14 Any evil rather than an evil caused by an enemy! Any vengeance rather than the vengeance of a foe! |
| 15 There is no poison worse than the poison of a snake, there is no fury worse than the fury of an enemy. |
| 16 I would sooner keep house with a lion or a dragon than keep house with a spiteful wife. |
| 17 A woman's spite changes her appearance and makes her face as grim as a bear's. |
| 18 When her husband goes out to dinner with his neighbours, he cannot help heaving bitter sighs. |
| 19 No spite can approach the spite of a woman, may a sinner's lot be hers! |
| 20 Like the climbing of a sandhill for elderly feet, such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband. |
| 21 Do not be taken in by a woman's beauty, never lose your head over a woman. |
| 22 Bad temper, insolence and shame hold sway where the wife supports the husband. |
| 23 Low spirits, gloomy face, stricken heart: such is a spiteful wife. Slack hands and sagging knees: suchis the wife who does not make her husband happy. |
| 24 Sin began with a woman, and thanks to her we must al die. |
| 25 Do not let water find a leak, nor a spiteful woman give free rein to her tongue. |
| 26 If she wil not do as you tel her, get rid of her. |