Sirach 26:13-27
Common English Bible
13 A wife’s charm will delight her husband,
and her skill will put fat on his bones.
14 A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
and nothing can be traded
for her self-discipline.
15 A modest wife adds charm upon charm,
and there is no balance that can weigh
the full value of her self-control.
16 As the sun rising in the Lord’s
high heavens,
so is the beauty of a good wife
in her well-ordered home.
17 As a lamp shines on the holy lampstand,
so also is a beautiful face
along with steady maturity.
18 Like gold pillars upon a silver base,
so also are shapely legs
on steadfast feet.
19 [a] My child, keep the vitality
of your prime of life safe and sound,
and don’t give your strength
over to strangers.
20 After you have chosen a fertile plot
out of every field,
sow your own seed,
being confident of your
excellent descent.
21 Thus your offspring who surround you
and who have confidence
in their excellent descent,
will become great.
22 A hired woman will be considered
the same as spit,
but a married woman will be considered a tower of death to those who associate too closely with her.
23 An ungodly woman will be bestowed
on a lawless man as his portion,
but a godly woman is granted
to the man who fears the Lord.
24 A shameless woman will always be
in disgrace,
but a dignified daughter will show modesty even with her husband.
25 An unruly wife will be thought of
as a dog,
but the wife who feels shame
will fear the Lord.
26 A wife who honors her own husband will appear wise to everyone,
but the wife who dishonors her husband with arrogance
will be known to all as ungodly.
The husband of a good wife is happy,
for the number of his years will double.
27 A loudmouthed and talkative wife
is like a battle trumpet
sounding an attack.
The spirit of the man
who lives under such conditions
lives perpetually in the chaos
of the battlefield.
Footnotes
- Sirach 26:19 LXXb adds 26:19–27.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible