⁵Of 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.
⁶There is grief of heart and sorrow when a wife is envious of a rival,
and a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
⁷An evil wife is an ox yoke which chafes;
taking hold of her is like grasping a scorpion.
⁸There is great anger when a wife is drunken;
she will not hide her shame.
⁹A wife's harlotry shows in her lustful eyes,
and she is known by her eyelids.
¹⁰Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
lest, when she finds liberty, she use it to her hurt.
¹¹Be on guard against her impudent eye,
and do not wonder if she sins against you.
¹²As 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.

¹³A wife's charm delights her husband,
and her skill puts fat on his bones.
¹⁴A silent wife is a gift of the Lord,
and there is nothing so precious as a disciplined soul.
¹⁵A modest wife adds charm to charm,
and no balance can weigh the value of a chaste soul.
¹⁶Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
¹⁷Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand,
so is a beautiful face on a stately figure.
¹⁸Like pillars of gold on a base of silver,
so are beautiful feet with a steadfast heart.

Sad observations.  Sir.26.28-27.3

²⁸At 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!
²⁹A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
and a tradesman will not be declared innocent of sin.