Sirach 26

¹Blessed is the husband of a good wife. For the number of his years is doubled

²A good wife delights her husband, and she will fill up the years of his life with peace

³A good wife is a good portion. She will be given the portion of those who fear God, like a man who has done good deeds

⁴But, rich or poor, with a good heart, his countenance will be cheerful at all times

⁵Of three things, my heart has been afraid, and at a fourth, my face has shown dread

⁶an accusation made by a city, and the gathering of a mob

⁷and a deceitful false accusation. All these are more grievous than death

⁸A jealous wife is a grief and a mourning to the heart

⁹In a jealous wife, there is a scourge of the tongue, which communicates with everyone

¹⁰Like a yoke of oxen being provoked, so also is a wicked wife. He who has hold of her is like one who has taken hold of a scorpion

¹¹An inebriated wife is a great wrath. And her disgrace and indecency will not be covered

¹²The fornication of a wife will become known by the haughtiness of her eyes and by her eyelids

¹³So that her daughter will not also turn away, keep a strict watch; otherwise, having found an opportunity, she may enjoy herself

¹⁴Be wary of the irreverence of her eyes, and you should not wonder if she might disregard you

¹⁵Like a thirsty traveler, she will open her mouth to the fountain, and she will drink from every water nearby, and she will sit down beside every fencepost, and she will open her quiver to every arrow, until she becomes weary

¹⁶The grace of an attentive wife will delight her husband, and will fatten his bones

¹⁷Her discipline is a gift from God

¹⁸Such is an understanding and quiet wife. For there is no substitution for a well-instructed soul

¹⁹A holy and contrite wife is grace upon grace

²⁰And no amount of money is equal to the value of a soul with self-restraint

²¹Like the sun rising over the world in the high places of God, so the beauty of a good wife is the adornment of her house

²²Like a lamp shining atop a holy lampstand, so is the beauty of a face in the mature stage of life

²³Like golden pillars upon bases of silver, so are the firm feet of a mature wife upon the soles of her feet

²⁴Like everlasting foundations upon a solid rock, so are the commandments of God in the heart of a holy wife

²⁵By two things, my heart is greatly saddened, and at a third, anger overwhelms me

²⁶a man of war failing because of dire need, and an understanding man treated with contempt

²⁷and anyone who crosses over from justice to sin. God has prepared such a one for the spear

²⁸Two kinds of things have seemed difficult and dangerous to me: a merchant will not be easily freed from his negligence, and a shopkeeper will not be justified by the sins of his lips