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1I take pleasure in three things,[#Lev 19.18; Ps 133.1; Sir 26.1–3; Rom 12.10]
and they are beautiful in the sight of God and of mortals:
agreement among brothers and sisters, friendship among neighbors,
and a wife and a husband who live in harmony.
2I hate three kinds of people,[#Prov 17.7; Sir 20.24; 23.16]
and I loathe their manner of life:
a pauper who boasts, a rich person who lies,
and an old adulterer who lacks sense.
3If you gathered nothing in your youth,[#Prov 6.6–11]
how can you find anything in your old age?
4How attractive is sound judgment in gray-haired women[#Job 32.7]
and for aged men to possess good counsel!
5How attractive is wisdom in the aged
and understanding and counsel in the venerable!
6Rich experience is the crown of the aged,[#Prov 16.31; Wis 8.8]
and their boast is the fear of the Lord.
7I can think of nine whom I would call happy,[#Prov 10.1; 23.24]
and a tenth my tongue proclaims:
a man who can rejoice in his children,
who lives to see the downfall of his foes.
8Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife[#Deut 22.10; Sir 14.1]
and who does not plow with ox and ass together,
who does not slip with the tongue
and who has not become enslaved to an inferior.
9Happy is the one who finds good sense[#Prov 3.13]
and the one who speaks to attentive listeners.
10How great is the one who finds wisdom![#Prov 3.13; Sir 10.24]
But none is superior to the one who fears the Lord.
11Fear of the Lord surpasses everything;[#Sir 23.27; 40.26]
to whom can we compare the one who has it?
13Any wound, but not a wound of the heart![#v 19 ; Prov 18.14; Eccl 7.26; Sir 42.13]
Any wickedness, but not the wickedness of a woman!
14Any suffering, but not suffering from those who hate!
And any vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies!
15There is no venom worse than a snake’s venom[#25.15 Syr: Gk head; #25.15 Syr: Gk head]
and no anger worse than a woman’s wrath.
16I would rather live with a lion and a dragon[#Prov 21.9, 19; 25.24]
than live with an evil woman.
17A woman’s wickedness changes her appearance[#Prov 17.12; Eccl 7.26; Sir 42.13]
and darkens her face like that of a bear.
18Her husband sits among the neighbors,[#25.18 Heb Syr: Gk loses heart]
and he cannot help sighing bitterly.
19Any iniquity is small compared to a woman’s iniquity;[#v 13]
may a sinner’s lot befall her!
20A sandy ascent for the feet of the aged—[#Prov 21.19; Sir 26.27]
such is a garrulous wife to a quiet husband.
21Do not be ensnared by a woman’s beauty,[#Prov 6.25; Sir 9.8; 42.12]
and do not desire a woman for her possessions.
22There is wrath and impudence and great disgrace
when a wife supports her husband.
23Dejected mind, gloomy face,[#Job 4.3, 4; Isa 35.3; Heb 12.12]
and wounded heart come from an evil wife.
Drooping hands and weak knees
come from the wife who does not make her husband happy.
24From a woman sin had its beginning,[#Gen 3.6; Rom 5.12; 1 Tim 2.14]
and because of her we all die.
25Allow no outlet to water[#Prov 17.14]
and no boldness of speech to an evil wife.
26If she does not go as you direct,[#Deut 24.1; Mt 19.7]
separate her from yourself.