1Three things delight me and are delightful to God and people: agreement between brothers, friendship between neighbors, and perfect harmony between husband and wife.
2There 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.
3If you have saved nothing in your youth, what will you have in old age?
4What a great thing is old age with sound judgment, an old man who can counsel!
5What a great thing is wisdom in those who are old, or understanding and prudence in the great.
6Rich experience is the crown of the old, their pride is the fear of the Lord.
7I 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. 8Happy 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. 9Happy he who has acquired good sense and is able to speak before an attentive audience! 10Great is he who has gained wisdom, but no one surpasses the man who fears the Lord.
11Since the fear of the Lord excels everything, who can compare with the one who possesses it?
12* 13Any wound rather than the wound of the heart; any wickedness rather than the wickedness of a woman; 14any sadness rather than that inflicted by an enemy; any vengeance rather than the vengeance of a foe.
15There is no poison worse than a snake’s venom, there is no rage worse than an enemy’s.
16Better to live with a lion and a snake than to share a house with a wicked woman.
17Wickedness disfigures a woman’s appearance, it saddens the face, making her look like a bear.
18When her husband dines with his neighbor, he sighs bitterly, in spite of himself.
19All wickedness is nothing compared with a woman’s wickedness. Let her lot be that of a sinner!
20As a sandhill is to an old man’s feet, so is the talkative woman to her quiet husband. 21Do not be fooled by a woman’s beauty or fall in love with her.
22Expect anger, reproach and plenty of shame when the wife rules the husband.
23Dejected spirits, a sad face and unseen wounds, these are the work of a wicked woman. Idle hands and unsteady knees are found when a wife brings her husband no happiness.
24For sin began with woman and we all die because of the inheritance of the congregations of Israel.
25Do not let water leak out or give free rein to a wicked woman. 26If she does not do as you tell her, get rid of her.
