Sirach

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.

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.