Sirach 26

¹Happy is the husband of a good wife.

The number of his days will be doubled.

²A faithful wife gives joy to her husband.

He will fulfill his years in peace.

³A good wife is a great gift.

She will be given to those who fear the Lord.

⁴Whether a man is rich or poor,

a good heart makes a cheerful face at all times.

⁵Of three things my heart was afraid,

and concerning the fourth kind I made supplication:

The slander of a city, the assembly of a mob, and a false accusation.

All these are more grievous than death.

⁶A grief of heart and sorrow is a woman who is jealous of another woman.

Her tongue-lashing makes it known to all.

⁷A wicked woman is like a chafing yoke.

He who takes hold of her is like one who grasps a scorpion.

⁸A drunken woman causes great wrath.

She will not cover her own shame.

⁹The fornication of a woman is in the lifting up of her eyes;

it will be known by her eyelids.

¹⁰Keep strict watch on a headstrong daughter,

lest she find liberty for herself, and use it.

¹¹Watch out for an impudent eye,

and don’t be surprised if it sins against you.

¹²She will open her mouth like a thirsty traveller,

and drink from every water that is near.

She will sit down at every post,

and open her quiver to any arrow.

¹³The grace of a wife will delight her husband.

Her knowledge will strengthen his bones.

¹⁴A silent woman is a gift of the Lord.

There is nothing worth so much as a well-instructed soul.

¹⁵A modest woman is grace upon grace.

There are no scales that can weigh the value of a self-controlled soul.

¹⁶As the sun when it arises in the highest places of the Lord,

so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-organized home.

¹⁷As the lamp that shines upon the holy lampstand,

so is the beauty of the face on a well-proportioned body.

¹⁸As the golden pillars are upon a base of silver,

so are beautiful feet with the breasts of one who is steadfast. ¹⁹

²⁸For two things my heart is grieved,

and for the third anger comes upon me:

a warrior who suffers for poverty,

men of understanding who are counted as garbage,

and one who turns back from righteousness to sin—

the Lord will prepare him for the sword!

²⁹It is difficult for a merchant to keep himself from wrong doing,

and for a retailer to be acquitted of sin.