1 Three things delight me and are delightful to
God and people: agreement between brothers, friendship between neighbors,
and perfect harmony between husband and wife.
2 There are three kinds of persons whom I detest and whose existence I cast
away from me: a poor man full of pride, a rich man who is a liar, and an
adulterous old man who is a fool.
3 If you have saved nothing in your youth, what will you have in old age?
4 What a great thing is old age with sound judgment, an old man who can
counsel!
5 What a great thing is wisdom in those who are old, or understanding and
prudence in the great.
6 Rich experience is the crown of the old, their pride is the fear of the
Lord.
7 I think of nine things which I consider happy and a tenth to which I will
also refer: the man who finds his happiness in his children; the man who
sees the ruin of his enemies in his lifetime.
8 Happy the man who lives with a sensible wife; he who does not plow with a
donkey and ox; he who has done no wrong in speech; he who does not serve an
unworthy master.
9 Happy he who has acquired good sense and is able to speak before an
attentive audience!
10 Great is he who has gained wisdom, but no one surpasses the man who fears
the Lord.
11 Since the fear of the Lord excels every thing, who can compare with the
one who possesses it?
13 Any wound rather than the wound of the heart; any wickedness rather than
the wickedness of a woman;
14 any sadness rather than that inflicted by an enemy; any vengeance rather
than the ven geance of a foe.
15 There is no poison worse than a snake��s venom, there is no rage worse
than an enemy��s.
16 Better to live with a lion and a snake than to share a house with a
wicked woman.
17 Wickedness disfigures a woman��s appearance, it saddens the face, making
her look like a bear.
18 When her husband dines with his neighbor, he sighs bitterly, in spite of
himself.
19 All wickedness is nothing compared with a woman��s wickedness. Let her lot
be that of a sinner!
20 As a sandhill is to an old man��s feet, so is the talkative woman to her
quiet husband.
21 Do not be fooled by a wo man��s beauty or fall in love with her.
22 Expect anger, reproach and plenty of shame when the wife rules the
husband.
23 Dejected spirits, a sad face and unseen wounds, these are the work of a
wicked wo man. Idle hands and unsteady knees are
found when a wife brings her husband no happiness.
24 For sin began with woman and we all die because of the inheritance of the
congregations of Israel.
25 Do not let water leak out or give free rein to a wicked woman.
26 If she does not do as you tell her, get rid of her.