¹The husband of a good wife

is favored,

and the length of his life will be doubled.

²A courageous wife

will make her husband happy,

and he will complete his years in peace.

³A good wife is a great blessing.

The one who fears the Lord will receive her as part of his God-given portion.

⁴Whether in poverty or in wealth,

his heart is happy;

at every moment he has a cheerful face.

⁵My heart was cautious about three things,

slander in a city,

the gathering of a mob,

and a false accusation—

⁶Women who are rivals

bring heartache and grief,

and a tongue-lashing shares it

with everyone.

⁷A wicked wife is like a chafing ox yoke;

the one who holds her

is like one who grasps a scorpion.

⁸A drunken wife is the same as rage;

she won’t hide her disgraceful conduct.

⁹A wife’s promiscuity is seen

in the arrogance of her eyes,

and her eyelids make it known.

¹⁰Keep a strict watch

over a disobedient daughter,

or else, if she finds you off guard,

she will take advantage of it.

¹¹Beware of her shameless eye,

and don’t be surprised

if she wrongs you.

¹²Just as thirsty travelers

will open their mouths

and drink from water that is near,

she will sit in front of every peg,

¹³A wife’s charm will delight her husband,

and her skill will put fat on his bones.

¹⁴A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,

and nothing can be traded

for her self-discipline.

¹⁵A modest wife adds charm upon charm,

and there is no balance that can weigh

the full value of her self-control.

¹⁶As the sun rising in the Lord’s

high heavens,

so is the beauty of a good wife

in her well-ordered home.

¹⁷As a lamp shines on the holy lampstand,

so also is a beautiful face

along with steady maturity.

¹⁸Like gold pillars upon a silver base,

so also are shapely legs

on steadfast feet.

¹⁹My child, keep the vitality[#26.19 LXX adds 26:19–27.]

of your prime of life safe and sound,

and don’t give your strength

over to strangers.

²⁰After you have chosen a fertile plot

out of every field,

sow your own seed,

being confident of your

excellent descent.

²¹Thus your offspring who surround you

and who have confidence

in their excellent descent,

will become great.

²²A hired woman will be considered

the same as spit,

but a married woman will be considered a tower of death to those who associate too closely with her.

²³An ungodly woman will be bestowed

on a lawless man as his portion,

but a godly woman is granted

to the man who fears the Lord.

²⁴A shameless woman will always be

in disgrace,

but a dignified daughter will show modesty even with her husband.

²⁵An unruly wife will be thought of

as a dog,

but the wife who feels shame

will fear the Lord.

²⁶A wife who honors her own husband will appear wise to everyone,

but the wife who dishonors her husband with arrogance

will be known to all as ungodly.

The husband of a good wife is happy,

for the number of his years will double.

²⁷A loudmouthed and talkative wife

The spirit of the man

who lives under such conditions

On integrity

²⁸My heart has been saddened

by two things,

a warrior who is needy

and impoverished,

intelligent people who are treated

with contempt,

and people who are turned

from righteousness to sin—

²⁹A merchant will scarcely be kept

from wrongdoing,

and a retailer won’t be innocent of sin.