Sirach 25

1With three things my spirit is pleased, which are approved before God and men:

2The concord of brethren, and the love of neighbours, and man and wife that agree well together.

3Three sorts my soul hateth, and I am greatly grieved at their life:

4A poor man that is proud: a rich man that is a liar: an old man that is a fool, and doting.

5The things that thou hast not gathered in thy youth, how shalt thou find them in thy old age?

6O how comely is judgment for a grey head, and for ancients to know counsel!

7O how comely is wisdom for the aged, and understanding and counsel to men of honour!

8Much experience is the crown of old men, and the fear of God is their glory.

9Nine things that are not to be imagined by the heart have I magnified, and the tenth I will utter to men with my tongue.

10A man that hath joy of his children: and he that liveth and seeth the fall of his enemies.

11Blessed is he that dwelleth with a wise woman, and that hath not slipped with his tongue, and that hath not served such as are unworthy of him.

12Blessed is he that findeth a true friend, and that declareth justice to an ear that heareth.

13How great is he that findeth wisdom and knowledge! but there is none above him that feareth the Lord.

14The fear of God hath set itself above all things:

15Blessed is the man, to whom it is given to have the fear of God: he that holdeth it, to whom shall he be likened?

16The fear of God is the beginning of his love: and the beginning of faith is to be fast joined unto it.

17The sadness of the heart is every plague: and the wickedness of a woman is all evil.

18And a man will choose any plague, but the plague of the heart:

19And any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman:

20And any affliction, but the affliction from them that hate him:

21And any revenge, but the revenge of enemies.

22There is no head worse than the head of a serpent:

23And there is no anger above the anger of a woman. It will be more agreeable to abide with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.

24The wickedness of a woman changeth her face: and she darkeneth her countenance as a bear: and showeth it like sackcloth. In the midst of her neighbours,

25Her husband groaned, and hearing he sighed a little.

26All malice is short to the malice of a woman, let the lot of sinners fall upon her.

27As the climbing of a sandy way is to the feet of the aged, so is a wife full of tongue to a quiet man.

28Look not upon a woman’s beauty, and desire not a woman for beauty.

29A woman’s anger, and impudence, and confusion is great.

30A woman, if she have superiority, is contrary to her husband.

31A wicked woman abateth the courage, and maketh a heavy countenance, and a wounded heart.

32Feeble hands, and disjointed knees, a woman that doth not make her husband happy.

33From the woman came the beginning of sin, and by her we all die.

34Give no issue to thy water, no, not a little: nor to a wicked woman liberty to gad abroad.

35If she walk not at thy hand, she will confound thee in the sight of thy enemies.

36Cut her off from thy flesh, lest she always abuse thee.

1In tribus placitum est spiritui meo, quæ sunt probata coram Deo et hominibus :

2concordia fratrum, et amor proximorum, et vir et mulier bene sibi consentientes.

3Tres species odivit anima mea, et aggravor valde animæ illorum :

4pauperem superbum, divitem mendacem, senem fatuum et insensatum.

5Quæ in juventute tua non congregasti, quomodo in senectute tua invenies?

6Quam speciosum canitiei judicium, et presbyteris cognoscere consilium!

7Quam speciosa veteranis sapientia, et gloriosus intellectus et consilium!

8Corona senum multa peritia, et gloria illorum timor Dei.

9Novem insuspicabilia cordis magnificavi : et decimum dicam in lingua hominibus :

10homo qui jucundatur in filiis, vivens et videns subversionem inimicorum suorum.

11Beatus qui habitat cum muliere sensata, et qui lingua sua non est lapsus, et qui non servivit indignis se.

12Beatus qui invenit amicum verum, et qui enarrat justitiam auri audienti.

13Quam magnus qui invenit sapientiam et scientiam! sed non est super timentem Dominum.

14Timor Dei super omnia se superposuit.

15Beatus homo cui donatum est habere timorem Dei : qui tenet illum, cui assimilabitur?

16Timor Dei initium dilectionis ejus : fidei autem initium agglutinandum est ei.

17Omnis plaga tristitia cordis est, et omnis malitia nequitia mulieris.

18Et omnem plagam, et non plagam videbit cordis :

19et omnem nequitiam, et non nequitiam mulieris :

20et omnem obductum, et non obductum odientium :

21et omnem vindictam, et non vindictam inimicorum.

22Non est caput nequius super caput colubri,

23et non est ira super iram mulieris. Commorari leoni et draconi placebit, quam habitare cum muliere nequam.

24Nequitia mulieris immutat faciem ejus : et obcæcat vultum suum tamquam ursus, et quasi saccum ostendit. In medio proximorum ejus

25ingemuit vir ejus, et audiens suspiravit modicum.

26Brevis omnis malitia super malitiam mulieris : sors peccatorum cadat super illam.

27Sicut ascensus arenosus in pedibus veterani, sic mulier linguata homini quieto.

28Ne respicias in mulieris speciem, et non concupiscas mulierem in specie.

29Mulieris ira, et irreverentia, et confusio magna.

30Mulier si primatum habeat, contraria est viro suo.

31Cor humile, et facies tristis, et plaga cordis, mulier nequam.

32Manus debiles et genua dissoluta, mulier quæ non beatificat virum suum.

33A muliere initium factum est peccati, et per illam omnes morimur.

34Non des aquæ tuæ exitum, nec modicum : nec mulieri nequam veniam prodeundi.

35Si non ambulaverit ad manum tuam, confundet te in conspectu inimicorum.

36A carnibus tuis abscinde illam, ne semper te abutatur.

1ἐν τρισὶν ὡραΐσθην καὶ ἀνέστην ὡραία ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ ἀνθρώπων

2ὁμόνοια ἀδελφῶν καὶ φιλία τῶν πλησίον καὶ γυνὴ καὶ ἀνὴρ ἑαυτοῖς συμπεριφερόμενοι

3τρία δὲ εἴδη ἐμίσησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ προσώχθισα σφόδρα τῇ ζωῇ αὐτῶν

4πτωχὸν ὑπερήφανον καὶ πλούσιον ψεύστην γέροντα μοιχὸν ἐλαττούμενον συνέσει

5ἐν νεότητι οὐ συναγείοχας καὶ πῶς ἂν εὕροις ἐν τῷ γήρᾳ σου

6ὡς ὡραῖον πολιαῖς κρίσις καὶ πρεσβυτέροις ἐπιγνῶναι βουλήν

7ὡς ὡραία γερόντων σοφία καὶ δεδοξασμένοις διανόημα καὶ βουλή

8στέφανος γερόντων πολυπειρία καὶ τὸ καύχημα αὐτῶν φόβος κυρίου

9ἐννέα ὑπονοήματα ἐμακάρισα ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ τὸ δέκατον ἐρῶ ἐπὶ γλώσσης

10ἄνθρωπος εὐφραινόμενος ἐπὶ τέκνοις ζῶν καὶ βλέπων ἐπὶ πτώσει ἐχθρῶν

11μακάριος ὁ συνοικῶν γυναικὶ συνετῇ καὶ ὃς ἐν γλώσσῃ οὐκ ὠλίσθησεν καὶ ὃς οὐκ ἐδούλευσεν ἀναξίῳ ἑαυτοῦ

12μακάριος ὃς εὗρεν φρόνησιν καὶ ὁ διηγούμενος εἰς ὦτα ἀκουόντων

13ὡς μέγας ὁ εὑρὼν σοφίαν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπὲρ τὸν φοβούμενον τὸν κύριον

14φόβος κυρίου ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὑπερέβαλεν

15ὁ κρατῶν αὐτοῦ τίνι ὁμοιωθήσεται

18πᾶσαν πληγὴν καὶ μὴ πληγὴν καρδίας

19καὶ πᾶσαν πονηρίαν καὶ μὴ πονηρίαν γυναικός

20πᾶσαν ἐπαγωγὴν καὶ μὴ ἐπαγωγὴν μισούντων καὶ

21πᾶσαν ἐκδίκησιν καὶ μὴ ἐκδίκησιν ἐχθρῶν

22οὐκ ἔστιν κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως

23καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν θυμὸς ὑπὲρ θυμὸν ἐχθροῦ συνοικῆσαι λέοντι καὶ δράκοντι εὐδοκήσω ἢ συνοικῆσαι μετὰ γυναικὸς πονηρᾶς

24πονηρία γυναικὸς ἀλλοιοῖ τὴν ὅρασιν αὐτῆς καὶ σκοτοῖ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς ὡς ἄρκος ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν πλησίον αὐτοῦ

25ἀναπεσεῖται ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀκουσίως ἀνεστέναξεν πικρά

26μικρὰ πᾶσα κακία πρὸς κακίαν γυναικός κλῆρος ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἐπιπέσοι αὐτῇ

27ἀνάβασις ἀμμώδης ἐν ποσὶν πρεσβυτέρου οὕτως γυνὴ γλωσσώδης ἀνδρὶ ἡσύχῳ

28μὴ προσπέσῃς ἐπὶ κάλλος γυναικὸς καὶ γυναῖκα μὴ ἐπιποθήσῃς

29ὀργὴ καὶ ἀναίδεια καὶ αἰσχύνη μεγάλη

30γυνὴ ἐὰν ἐπιχορηγῇ τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς

31καρδία ταπεινὴ καὶ πρόσωπον σκυθρωπὸν καὶ πληγὴ καρδίας γυνὴ πονηρά

32χεῖρες παρειμέναι καὶ γόνατα παραλελυμένα ἥτις οὐ μακαριεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς

33ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ἀρχὴ ἁμαρτίας καὶ δι' αὐτὴν ἀποθνῄσκομεν πάντες

34μὴ δῷς ὕδατι διέξοδον μηδὲ γυναικὶ πονηρᾷ παρρησίαν

35εἰ μὴ πορεύεται κατὰ χεῖράς σου

36ἀπὸ τῶν σαρκῶν σου ἀπότεμε αὐτήν