Sirach 26

Common English Bible

26 The husband of a good wife
is favored,
    and the length of his life will be doubled.
² A courageous wife
will make her husband happy,
    and he will complete his years in peace.
³ A good wife is a great blessing.
    The one who fears the Lord will receive her as part of his God-given portion.
⁴ Whether in poverty or in wealth,
his heart is happy;
    at every moment he has a cheerful face.

⁵ My heart was cautious about three things,
        and I was fearful
        in the face of a fourth—
    slander in a city,
    the gathering of a mob,
    and a false accusation—
        all of these are more miserable
        than death.
⁶ Women who are rivals
bring heartache and grief,
    and a tongue-lashing shares it
    with everyone.
⁷ A wicked wife is like a chafing ox yoke;
    the one who holds her
    is like one who grasps a scorpion.
⁸ A drunken wife is the same as rage;
    she won’t hide her disgraceful conduct.
⁹ A wife’s promiscuity is seen
in the arrogance of her eyes,
    and her eyelids make it known.

¹⁰ Keep a strict watch
over a disobedient daughter,
    or else, if she finds you off guard,
    she will take advantage of it.
¹¹ Beware of her shameless eye,
    and don’t be surprised
    if she wrongs you.
¹² Just as thirsty travelers
will open their mouths
    and drink from water that is near,
    she will sit in front of every peg,
        and she will open her quiver
        to an arrow.

¹³ A wife’s charm will delight her husband,
    and her skill will put fat on his bones.
¹⁴ A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
    and nothing can be traded
    for her self-discipline.
¹⁵ A modest wife adds charm upon charm,
    and there is no balance that can weigh
    the full value of her self-control.
¹⁶ As the sun rising in the Lord’s
high heavens,
    so is the beauty of a good wife
    in her well-ordered home.
¹⁷ As a lamp shines on the holy lampstand,
    so also is a beautiful face
    along with steady maturity.
¹⁸ Like gold pillars upon a silver base,
    so also are shapely legs
    on steadfast feet.
^19 [a] My child, keep the vitality
of your prime of life safe and sound,
    and don’t give your strength
    over to strangers.
²⁰ After you have chosen a fertile plot
out of every field,
    sow your own seed,
    being confident of your
    excellent descent.
²¹ Thus your offspring who surround you
    and who have confidence
    in their excellent descent,
    will become great.
²² A 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.
²³ An 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.
²⁴ A shameless woman will always be
in disgrace,
    but a dignified daughter will show modesty even with her husband.
²⁵ An unruly wife will be thought of
as a dog,
    but the wife who feels shame
    will fear the Lord.
²⁶ A 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.
²⁷ A loudmouthed and talkative wife
        is like a battle trumpet
        sounding an attack.
    The spirit of the man
    who lives under such conditions
        lives perpetually in the chaos
        of the battlefield.

²⁹ A merchant will scarcely be kept
from wrongdoing,
    and a retailer won’t be innocent of sin.