Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26

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¹The husband of a good woman is blessed; for why the number of their years is double or the number for-sooth of the years of him double.

²A strong woman, that is, against sins, delighteth her husband; and (he) shall ful fill in peace the years of his life.

³A good woman is a good part (or partner); in the good part of them that dread God, she shall be given to a man for his good deeds.

⁴Forsooth (if) the heart of a rich man and (or) of a poor man is good; in all time their cheer (or his face) is glad.

⁵Mine heart dreaded of three things, and my face dreaded or was afeared in (or of) the fourth thing. Betraying of a city, and the gathering together of people, that is, in conspiring of the people against the prince, and false challenge; all (these) things (be more) grievous on (or worse than) death.

⁶The sorrow of heart, and mourn-ing, is a jealous woman. In a jealous woman is (a) beating or scourge of (the) tongue, and she communeth with all men.

⁷As a yoke of oxes or oxen which is moved, so and a wicked woman; he that holdeth her, is as he that taketh or caught (hold of) a scorpion.

⁸A drunken woman is great ire, and despising or strife; and her filth-(hood) or nakedness shall not be covered.

⁹The fornication of a woman is in the raising of (her) eyes; and she shall be known in (or by) the eyelids of her.

¹⁰Make thou firm the keeping in (or of) a daughter not turning away her-self; lest she mis-use herself, if she findeth (an) occasion.

¹¹Be thou ware of all unreverence of her eyes; and wonder thou not, if she despiseth thee.

¹²As a way-goer thirsting shall open the mouth at a well, and shall drink of each water next; and the foresaid daughter shall sit against each pale, and shall open the arrow case against each arrow or against all arrow(s) shall open the quiver, till she fail.

¹³The grace of a busy woman shall delight her husband; and shall make fat his bones.

¹⁴The cunning (or the knowing) of her is the gift of God. A wise woman and a still (one) is not (ex)changing of (or with) a learned or the taught soul.

¹⁵Grace up on grace is an holy woman, and shamefast. Forsooth all weighing is not worth a continent soul.

¹⁶As the sun rising in the world in the highest things of God, so the fairness of a good woman is into the ornament, or the adornment, of her house.

¹⁷A lantern shining on an holy candlestick, and the fairness of a face on (or in) the steadfast age, that is, as such a lantern lighteneth the church, and such a face maketh fair ripe age, so a good woman maketh fair her house.

¹⁸Golden pillars on silvern founda-ments (or foundations), and steadfast feet on the soles of a steadfast or a stable woman. Everlasting founda-ments on a firm stone, and the behests, (or the commands), or the commandments of God in the heart of an holy woman.

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²⁸In two things mine heart was made sorry or is made sorrowful, and in the third thing wrathfulness came to me. A man warrior failing by neediness, and a wise man despised. And God hath made him ready to (or for) the sword, that passeth over or over-goeth from rightfulness or rightwiseness to sin.

²⁹Two species appeared hard and perilous to me; a merchant is deliver-ed of hard from his negligence, and a taverner shall not be justified of or from (the) sins of lips.