Those Who Are Worthy of Praise

¹ My soul takes pleasure in three things, and they are beautiful in the sight of the Lord and of people: agreement between brothers, friendship between neighbours, and a wife and a husband who accommodate one another.

² My soul hates three kinds of people, and I am greatly offended at their life: a beggar who is arrogant, a rich man who is a liar, and an adulterous old man who lacks good sense.

³ You have gathered nothing in your youth; how then can you find anything in your old age?

⁴ What an attractive thing is judgement in grey haired men and for the aged to possess good counsel!

⁵ How attractive is wisdom in the aged and understanding and counsel in honourable men!

⁶ Rich experience is the crown of the aged, and their boast is the fear of the Lord.

⁷ Nine things I have called blessed in my heart, and a tenth I shall tell with my tongue: a person rejoicing over children; a man who lives to see the downfall of his foes;

⁸ happy is he who lives with an intelligent wife, and he who has not made a slip with his tongue, and he who has not served a person unworthy of himself;

⁹ happy is he who has gained good sense, and he who speaks to attentive listeners.

¹⁰ How great is he who has gained wisdom! But there is no one superior to him who fears the Lord.

¹¹ The fear of the Lord surpasses everything; to whom shall be likened the one who holds it fast?

Extreme Forms of Evil

¹³ Any wound, but not a wound of the heart! Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a wife!

¹⁴ Any attack, but not an attack from those who hate! And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!

¹⁵ There is no venom worse than a snake’s venom, and no wrath worse than an enemy’s wrath.

The Evil of a Wicked Woman

¹⁶ I would rather dwell with a lion and a dragon than dwell with an evil wife.

¹⁷ The wickedness of a wife changes her appearance and darkens her face like that of a bear.

¹⁸ Her husband will take his meals among the neighbours, and he cannot help sighing bitterly.

¹⁹ Any iniquity is insignificant compared to a wife’s iniquity; may a sinner’s lot befall her!

²⁰ A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged— such is a garrulous wife for a quiet husband.

²¹ Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty and do not desire a woman for her possessions.

²² There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace when a wife supports her husband.

²³ An evil wife means a dejected heart, a gloomy face, and a wounded heart. A wife who does not call her husband blessed means drooping hands and weak knees.

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 in an evil wife.

²⁶ If she does not go as you direct, separate her from yourself.