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26Ecclesiasticus

1 Happy is the husband of a good wife;
the number of his days will be doubled.

 
2 A loyal wife rejoices her husband,
and he will complete his years in peace.
 
3 A good wife is a great blessing;
she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.
 
4 Whether rich or poor, his heart is glad,
and at all times his face is cheerful.
 
5 Of three things my heart is afraid,
and of a fourth I am frightened:
The slander of a city, the gathering of a mob, and false accusation -
all these are worse than death.

 
6 There is grief of heart and sorrow when a wife is envious of a rival,
and a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
 
7 An evil wife is an ox yoke which chafes;
taking hold of her is like grasping a scorpion.
 
8 There is great anger when a wife is drunken;
she will not hide her shame.
 
9 A wife's harlotry shows in her lustful eyes,
and she is known by her eyelids.
 
10 Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
lest, when she finds liberty, she use it to her hurt.
 
11 Be on guard against her impudent eye,
and do not wonder if she sins against you.
 
12 As a thirsty wayfarer opens his mouth
and drinks from any water near him,
so will she sit in front of every post
and open her quiver to the arrow.

 
13 A wife's charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts fat on his bones.
 
14 A silent wife is a gift of the Lord,
and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul.
 
15 A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul.
 
16 Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
 
17 Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand,
so is a beautiful face on a stately figure.
 
18 Like pillars of gold on a base of silver,
so are beautiful feet with a steadfast heart.
 
28 At two things my heart is grieved,
and because of a third anger comes over me:
a warrior in want through poverty,
and intelligent men who are treated contemptuously;
a man who turns back from righteousness to sin -
the Lord will prepare him for the sword!

Sad observations. Sir.26.28-27.3
29 A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
and a tradesman will not be declared innocent of sin.

 
    << | Sir:26 | >>  

Notes: This webpage enables you to select-a-version from the Bible versions held on the katapi bible database.
The katapi New Standard Bible is a very light revision of the RSV. The changes are: (1) In places where 'the LORD', 'O LORD' occurs in the RSV, (it represents the tetragrammaton - YHWH - which is in the hebrew text), I have printed 'YHWH' in black. The later vowel sounds I have shown in the colour gray;
(2) I have removed the quotation marks and hyphens that were used in so many names in the RSV as an aid to correct pronunciation. This now brings it in line with all other English versions, and makes any word-search more accurate.
(3) I have changed all (I hope!) of the RSV archaic language sections to modern.

The katapi New Study Bible reference section displays links to parallel passages, and to direct quotations by New Testament authors to Old Testament passages. Quotations of OT passages by NT authors can in most cases be viewed within their context of the OT passage as a whole, with the quoted text displayed, against a subdued background. Any mismatches, truncated verses, other mistakes ?
Please e-mail me. © This page: Paul Ingram 2012.