^4 (A)An excellent wife is ^(B)the crown of her husband,
    but she who ^(C)brings shame is like ^(D)rottenness in his bones.

³⁰ A tranquil^[a] heart gives ^(A)life to the flesh,
    but ^(B)envy^[b] makes ^(C)the bones rot.

^{10 [a] (A)}An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than ^(B)jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She ^(C)seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She ^(D)rises while it is yet night
    and ^(E)provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She ^(F)dresses herself^[b] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She ^(G)opens her hand to ^(H)the poor
    and reaches out her hands to ^(I)the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in ^(J)scarlet.^[c]
22 She makes ^(K)bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is ^(L)fine linen and ^(M)purple.
²³ Her husband is known in ^(N)the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes ^(O)linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
^25 (P)Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.

^13 (A)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and ^(B)a wife's quarreling is ^(C)a continual dripping of rain.
^14 (D)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is ^(E)from the Lord.

^15 (A)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
¹⁶ to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp^[a] oil in one's right hand.

¹⁹ It is ^(A)better to live in a desert land
    than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

⁹ It is ^(A)better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

14 ^(A)The wisest of women ^(B)builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands ^(C)tears it down.