1 Esdras 4:14-41

Common English Bible

¹⁴ “Gentlemen, isn’t the king great, aren’t men abundant, and isn’t wine strong? Who is it, though, that masters them or rules over them? Isn’t it women? ¹⁵ Women give birth to the king and to all the people who rule over the sea and land. ¹⁶ From women they all are born. It was women who brought up those men who plant the vineyards from which wine is produced.

¹⁷ “Women make men’s clothes. They bring men honor. Without women, men aren’t even able to exist. ¹⁸ If men gather gold and silver or any valuable thing, and then see a desirable and beautiful woman, ¹⁹ they forget everything to gaze at her. With mouths wide open, they stare at her. All choose her over gold, silver, or any other valuable thing. ²⁰ A man leaves his own father, who raised him, and his own country, and clings to his own wife. ²¹ With his wife he departs this life, with no memory of his father or mother or country. ²² Therefore, surely you must recognize that women rule over you!

“Don’t you work and labor, yet you bring everything and give it to women? ²³ A man takes his sword, goes out to travel abroad to raid, steal, and sail the sea and rivers. ²⁴ He faces lions; he walks in darkness; when he steals and robs and plunders, he carries it back to the woman he loves. ²⁵ A man loves his own wife much more than his father or mother. ²⁶ Many men have lost their heads over women, and have become slaves on account of them. ²⁷ Many have perished, stumbled, or sinned because of women.

²⁸ “Now don’t you believe me? Isn’t the king great in his authority? Don’t all countries fear to touch him? ²⁹ I once saw the king and Apame his mistress, the daughter of the eminent Bartacus, sitting by his right side. ³⁰ She took the crown from the king’s head and put it on her own head, and slapped the king with her left hand. ³¹ At this the king would stare at her with his mouth wide open. If she smiles at him, he laughs; but if she should get angry with him, he humors her so that she may be reconciled to him. ³² Gentlemen, aren’t women powerful, since they can do such things?”

Superiority of truth

³³ The king and the officials looked at each other, and the third young man began to speak about truth: ³⁴ “Gentlemen, aren’t women strong? The earth is great, heaven is high, and the sun is swift in its course, for it circles the heavens and returns again to its place in a single day. ³⁵ Isn’t the one who does these things great? Yet truth is also great and superior still to all of these things. ³⁶ The whole earth calls on truth, and heaven praises it. All of heaven’s works^[a] move and tremble at the sight of it, and there’s nothing wrong with truth. ³⁷ You can’t trust wine; you can’t trust the king; you can’t trust women. No human beings are trustworthy. Everything they do is wrong. There is no truth in them. They will perish in their lies. ³⁸ But truth endures and is valid for all time; it lives and succeeds forever. ³⁹ With it there’s no charade or preference, but it does what is right instead of what is wrong or evil. Everyone approves of its deeds. There’s nothing unjust in its judgment. ⁴⁰ To it belongs the strength, the royalty, the authority, and the greatness of all ages. Bless God’s truth!” ⁴¹ He stopped speaking, and all the people cried out, “Great is truth and superior to all!”