Sirach 25
Good News Translation
People Who Deserve Praise
25 There are three things in which I take special delight—things that are beautiful to the Lord and people alike:[a]
brothers who get along with each other,
neighbors who are friends,
and a married couple who are happy together.
2 There are three kinds of people I cannot stand, whose behavior I find highly offensive:
poor people who are arrogant,
rich people who lie,
and foolish old men who commit adultery.
3 Unless you learn what you can while you are young, you will never be wise when you reach old age. 4 Sound judgment, good advice, and gray hair go together beautifully. 5 Wisdom, understanding, and sound counsel are appropriate to the aged and the respected. 6 Elderly people wear the crown of long experience, and they can boast of nothing finer than their fear of the Lord.
7 I will tell you about ten kinds of people that I feel fortunate to know, especially fortunate in the case of the tenth:
someone who takes pride in his children,
someone who lives to see his enemies fall,
8 a man fortunate enough to have an understanding wife,
a married couple who are well-matched,[b]
a person who never speaks sinfully,
a person who doesn't have to work for someone less competent than himself,
9 someone fortunate enough to have a real friend,[c]
a person that people are happy to listen to,
10 and the really great one: someone who is wise.
But the greatest one of all is the person who fears the Lord.
11 Such a person has no equal, because the fear of the Lord is the most important thing in the world.[d]
Advice about Women
13 No wound is as serious as wounded love. No troubles are as serious as the troubles that women cause. 14 No sufferings are worse than the sufferings caused by people who hate you. No revenge is worse than revenge taken by an enemy. 15 No poison is deadlier than the poison of a snake, and no anger is deadlier than the anger of a woman.[e]
16 I would rather live in the same house with a lion or a dragon than with a bad wife. 17 When a wife is in a bad mood, her expression changes until she looks like an angry bear. 18 Her husband has to go and eat with the neighbors, where he can't hold back his bitter sighs.
19 Compared with the troubles caused by a woman, any other trouble looks small. May such women suffer the fate of sinners!
20 A quiet man living with a nagging wife is like an old man climbing up a sandy hill.
21 Never lose your head over a woman's beauty, and don't try to win a woman because she is wealthy.[f] 22 When a man is supported by his wife, there is sure to be anger, arrogance, and humiliation. 23 A bad wife will make her husband gloomy and depressed, and break his heart. Show me a timid man who can never make up his mind, and I will show you a wife who doesn't make her husband happy. 24 Sin began with a woman, and we must all die because of her. 25 Don't let a bad wife have her way, any more than you would allow water to leak from your cistern. 26 If she won't do as you tell her, divorce her.
Footnotes
- Sirach 25:1 Some ancient translations There are...alike; Greek I was made beautiful in three ways and I stood before the Lord and people in beauty.
- Sirach 25:8 Hebrew and one ancient translation a married couple...well-matched; Greek does not have these words.
- Sirach 25:9 Some ancient translations real friend; Greek good sense.
- Sirach 25:11 Some manuscripts add verse 12: Fearing the Lord is the first step toward loving him, and faith is the first step toward loyalty to him.
- Sirach 25:15 Some ancient translations woman; Greek enemy.
- Sirach 25:21 Hebrew because she is wealthy; Greek does not have these words.
Sirach 25
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
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)
2 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)
3 If you gathered nothing in your youth,
how can you find anything in your old age?(C)
4 How attractive is sound judgment in gray-haired women
and for aged men to possess good counsel!(D)
5 How attractive is wisdom in the aged
and understanding and counsel in the venerable!
6 Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.(E)
7 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)
8 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)
9 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
- 25.1 Syr Lat: Gk In three things I was beautiful, and I stood in beauty before the Lord and mortals
- 25.8 Heb Syr: Gk lacks and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together
- 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.
- 25.15 Syr: Gk head
- 25.15 Syr: Gk head
- 25.15 Other ancient authorities read an enemy’s
- 25.18 Heb Syr: Gk loses heart
- 25.18 Other ancient authorities read and listening he sighs
- 25.21 Heb Syr: Gk lacks for her possessions
Ben Sira 25
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 25
Those Who Are Worthy of Praise
1 [a]With three things I am delighted,
for they are pleasing to the Lord and to human beings:
Harmony among relatives, friendship among neighbors,
and a wife and a husband living happily together.
2 Three kinds of people I hate,
and I loathe their manner of life:
A proud pauper, a rich liar,
and a lecherous old fool.
3 In your youth you did not gather.
How will you find anything in your old age?
4 How appropriate is sound judgment in the gray-haired,
and good counsel in the elderly!
5 How appropriate is wisdom in the aged,
understanding and counsel in the venerable!
6 The crown of the elderly, wide experience;
their glory, the fear of the Lord.
7 There are nine who come to mind as blessed,
a tenth whom my tongue proclaims:[b]
The man who finds joy in his children,
and the one who lives to see the downfall of his enemies.
8 Happy the man who lives with a sensible woman,
and the one who does not plow with an ox and a donkey combined.[c]
Happy the one who does not sin with the tongue,
who does not serve an inferior.
9 Happy the one who finds a friend,
who speaks to attentive ears.
10 How great is the one who finds wisdom,
but none is greater than the one who fears the Lord.
11 Fear of the Lord surpasses all else.
To whom can we compare the one who has it?[d]
Wicked and Virtuous Women[e]
13 Any wound, but not a wound of the heart!
Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a woman!
14 Any suffering, but not suffering from one’s foes!
Any vengeance, but not the vengeance of one’s enemies!
15 There is no poison worse than that of a serpent,
no venom greater than that of a woman.
16 I would rather live with a dragon or a lion
than live with a wicked woman.(A)
17 A woman’s wicked disposition changes her appearance,
and makes her face as dark as a bear.
18 When her husband sits among his neighbors,
a bitter sigh escapes him unawares.
19 There is hardly an evil like that in a woman;
may she fall to the lot of the sinner!
20 Like a sandy hill to aged feet
is a garrulous wife to a quiet husband.
21 Do not be enticed by a woman’s beauty,
or be greedy for her wealth.
22 Harsh is the slavery and great the shame
when a wife supports her husband.
23 Depressed mind, gloomy face,
and a wounded heart—a wicked woman.
Drooping hands and quaking knees,
any wife who does not make her husband happy.
24 With a woman sin had a beginning,
and because of her we all die.[f]
25 Allow water no outlet,
and no boldness of speech to a wicked woman.
26 If she does not go along as you direct,
cut her away from you.
Footnotes
- 25:1–2 A numerical saying in threes.
- 25:7–11 A numerical proverb (9 + 1), in which the tenth element, “the one who fears the Lord,” is the most important.
- 25:8 An ox and a donkey combined: the reference is to a man married to two incompatible women (cf. 37:11a); the imagery derives from Dt 22:10.
- 25:11
Other ancient texts read as v. 12:
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of loving him,
and fidelity is the beginning of clinging to him.
- 25:13–26 The harsh statements Ben Sira makes about women reflect the kind of instruction young Jewish males were exposed to in the early second century B.C. His patriarchal perspective is as unfair as it is one-sided.
- 25:24 Ben Sira refers to the story of the first sin in Gn 3:1–6. Cf. 2 Cor 11:3 and 1 Tm 2:14. St. Paul, however, singles out Adam; cf. Rom 5:12–19; 1 Cor 15:22.
Sirach 25
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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.
2 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 fool who commits adultery.
3 If you gathered nothing in your youth,
how can you find anything in your old age?
4 How attractive is sound judgment in the gray-haired,
and for the aged to possess good counsel!
5 How attractive is wisdom in the aged,
and understanding and counsel in the venerable!
6 Rich experience is the crown of the aged,
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.
7 I can think of nine whom I would call blessed,
and a tenth my tongue proclaims:
a man who can rejoice in his children;
a man who lives to see the downfall of his foes.
8 Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife,
and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together.[b]
Happy is the one who does not sin with the tongue,
and the one who has not served an inferior.
9 Happy is the one who finds a friend,[c]
and the one who speaks to attentive listeners.
10 How great is the one who finds wisdom!
But none is superior to the one who fears the Lord.
11 Fear of the Lord surpasses everything;
to whom can we compare the one who has it?[d]
Some Extreme Forms of Evil
13 Any wound, but not a wound of the heart!
Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a woman!
14 Any suffering, but not suffering from those who hate!
And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!
15 There is no venom[e] worse than a snake’s venom,[f]
and no anger worse than a woman’s[g] wrath.
The Evil of a Wicked Woman
16 I would rather live with a lion and a dragon
than live with an evil woman.
17 A woman’s wickedness changes her appearance,
and darkens her face like that of a bear.
18 Her husband sits[h] among the neighbors,
and he cannot help sighing[i] bitterly.
19 Any iniquity is small compared to a woman’s iniquity;
may a sinner’s lot befall her!
20 A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—
such is a garrulous wife to a quiet husband.
21 Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty,
and do not desire a woman for her possessions.[j]
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.
24 From a woman sin had its beginning,
and because of her we all die.
25 Allow no outlet to water,
and no boldness of speech to an evil wife.
26 If she does not go as you direct,
separate her from yourself.
Footnotes
- Sirach 25:1 Syr Lat: Gk In three things I was beautiful and I stood in beauty before the Lord and mortals.
- Sirach 25:8 Heb Syr: Gk lacks and the one who does not plow with ox and ass together
- Sirach 25:9 Lat Syr: Gk good sense
- Sirach 25:11 Other ancient authorities add as verse 12, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of love for him, and faith is the beginning of clinging to him.
- Sirach 25:15 Syr: Gk head
- Sirach 25:15 Syr: Gk head
- Sirach 25:15 Other ancient authorities read an enemy’s
- Sirach 25:18 Heb Syr: Gk loses heart
- Sirach 25:18 Other ancient authorities read and listening he sighs
- Sirach 25:21 Heb Syr: Other Gk authorities read for her beauty
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