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