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Those Who Are Worthy of Praise

25 I take pleasure in three things,
    and they are beautiful in the sight of God and of mortals:[a]
agreement among brothers and sisters, friendship among neighbors,
    and a wife and a husband who live in harmony.(A)
I hate three kinds of people,
    and I loathe their manner of life:
a pauper who boasts, a rich person who lies,
    and an old adulterer who lacks sense.(B)

If you gathered nothing in your youth,
    how can you find anything in your old age?(C)
How attractive is sound judgment in gray-haired women
    and for aged men to possess good counsel!(D)
How attractive is wisdom in the aged
    and understanding and counsel in the venerable!
Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
    and their boast is the fear of the Lord.(E)

I can think of nine whom I would call happy,
    and a tenth my tongue proclaims:
a man who can rejoice in his children,
    who lives to see the downfall of his foes.(F)
Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife
    and who does not plow with ox and ass together,[b]
who does not slip with the tongue
    and who has not become enslaved to an inferior.(G)
Happy is the one who finds good sense
    and the one who speaks to attentive listeners.(H)
10 How great is the one who finds wisdom!
    But none is superior to the one who fears the Lord.(I)
11 Fear of the Lord surpasses everything;
    to whom can we compare the one who has it?[c](J)

Some Extreme Forms of Evil

13 Any wound, but not a wound of the heart!
    Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a woman!(K)
14 Any suffering, but not suffering from those who hate!
    And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!
15 There is no venom[d] worse than a snake’s venom[e]
    and no anger worse than a woman’s[f] wrath.

The Evil of a Wicked Woman

16 I would rather live with a lion and a dragon
    than live with an evil woman.(L)
17 A woman’s wickedness changes her appearance
    and darkens her face like that of a bear.(M)
18 Her husband sits[g] among the neighbors,
    and he cannot help sighing[h] bitterly.
19 Any iniquity is small compared to a woman’s iniquity;
    may a sinner’s lot befall her!(N)
20 A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—
    such is a garrulous wife to a quiet husband.(O)
21 Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty,
    and do not desire a woman for her possessions.[i](P)
22 There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace
    when a wife supports her husband.
23 Dejected mind, gloomy face,
    and wounded heart come from an evil wife.
Drooping hands and weak knees
    come from the wife who does not make her husband happy.(Q)
24 From a woman sin had its beginning,
    and because of her we all die.(R)
25 Allow no outlet to water
    and no boldness of speech to an evil wife.(S)
26 If she does not go as you direct,
    separate her from yourself.(T)

Footnotes

  1. 25.1 Syr Lat: Gk In three things I was beautiful, and I stood in beauty before the Lord and mortals
  2. 25.8 Heb Syr: Gk lacks and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together
  3. 25.11 Other ancient authorities add as 25.12: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of love for him, and faith is the beginning of clinging to him.
  4. 25.15 Syr: Gk head
  5. 25.15 Syr: Gk head
  6. 25.15 Other ancient authorities read an enemy’s
  7. 25.18 Heb Syr: Gk loses heart
  8. 25.18 Other ancient authorities read and listening he sighs
  9. 25.21 Heb Syr: Gk lacks for her possessions