25
1 In three things I was beautified,
and stood up beautiful before the Lord and men:
the concord of kindred, and friendship of neighbors,
and a woman and her husband who walk together in agreement.
2 But my soul hates three sorts of people,
and I am greatly offended at their life:
a poor man who is arrogant, and a rich man who is a liar,
and an old man who is an adulterer lacking understanding.
3 If you gathered nothing in your youth,
how could you find anything in your old age?
4 How beautiful a thing is judgement for gray hairs,
and for elders to know counsel!
5 How beautiful is the wisdom of old men,
and thought and counsel to men who are in honor!
6 Much experience is the crown of old men.
Their glory is the fear of the Lord.
7 There are nine things that I have thought of, and in my heart counted happy,
and the tenth I will utter with my tongue:
a man who has joy of his children,
a man who lives and sees the fall of his enemies.
8 Happy is he who dwells with a wife of understanding,
he who has not slipped with his tongue,
Aad he who has not served a man who is unworthy of him.
9 Happy is he who has found prudence,
and he who speaks in the ears of those who listen.
10 How great is he who has found wisdom!
Yet is there none above him who fears the Lord.
11 The fear of the Lord passes all things.
To whom shall he who holds it be likened? 12 * Verse 12 is omitted by the best authorities.
13 Any plague but a plague of the heart!
Any wickedness but the wickedness of a woman!
14 Any calamity, but a calamity from those who hate me!
Any vengeance, but the vengeance of enemies!
15 There is no head above the head of a serpent.
There is no wrath above the wrath of an enemy.
16 I would rather dwell with a lion and a dragon
than keep house with a wicked woman.
17 The wickedness of a woman changes her appearance,
and darkens her countenance like that of a bear.
18 Her husband will sit among his neighbors,
and when he hears it, he sighs bitterly.
19 All malice is small compared to the malice of a woman.
Let the portion of a sinner fall on her.
20 As walking up a sandy way is to the feet of the aged,
so is a wife full of words to a quiet man.
21 Don’t throw yourself upon the beauty of a woman.
Don’t desire a woman for her beauty.
22 There is anger, impudence, and great reproach
if a woman supports her husband.
23 A wicked woman is abasement of heart,
sadness of countenance, and a wounded heart.
A woman who won’t make her husband happy
is like hands that hang down, and palsied knees.
24 The beginning of sin came from a woman.
Because of her, we all die.
25 Don’t give water an outlet,
and don’t give a wicked woman freedom of speech.
26 If she doesn’t go as you direct,
cut her off from your flesh.† The remainder of this verse is omitted by the best authorities.