The Book of Sirach (or Ecclesiasticus)
Chapter 25
1 – With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men:
2 – The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and mall and wife that agree well together.
3 – Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life:
4 – A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting.
5 – The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age?
6 – O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel!
7 – O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour!
8 – Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.
9 – Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue.
10 – A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies.
11 – Blessed is he. that dwelleth with a wise woman, and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him.
12 – Blessed is he that findeth a true friend, and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth.
13 – How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord.
14 – The fear of God hath set itself above all things:
15 – Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened?
16 – The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it.
17 – The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil.
18 – And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart:
19 – And ally wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman:
20 – And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him:
21 – And ally revenge, but the revenge of enemies.
22 – There is no head worse than the head of a serpent:
23 – And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.
24 – The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and sheweth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours,
25 – Her husband groaned, and hearing he sighed a little.
26 – All malice is shore to the malice of a woman, let the lot of sinners fall upon her.
27 – As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man.
28 – Look not upon a woman’s beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty.
29 – A woman’s anger, and impudence, and confusion is great.
30 – A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband.
31 – A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart.
32 – Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy.
33 – From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die.
34 – Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.
35 – If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies.
36 – Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee.
The Catholic Bible Online. Scriptures are from The Douay Rheims Catholic Bible 1582-1610 a.d. Version In the Public Domain. The Douay Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English undertaken by members of the English College, Douai in the service of the Catholic Church.