The Holy Bible – Knox Translation
The Book of Ecclesiasticus
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Chapter 25
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1
Three sights warm my heart; God and man wish them well:
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peace in the clan, good will among neighbours, man and wife well matched.
3
Three sorts of men move my spleen, so that I am fain to grudge them life itself:
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poor man that is proud, rich man that is a liar, old man that is fond and foolish.

5
The store youth never puts by, shall old age enjoy?
6
Good judgement well matches grey hairs, for still the elders must be men of prudence;
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wisdom for the old, discernment for senators, and the gift of counsel!
8
No crown have old men like their long experience, no ornament like the fear of God.

9
Nine envious thoughts came suddenly into my mind, and a tenth I will add for good measure.
10
Happy is he that has joy of his children; that lives to see his enemies’ downfall.
11
Happiness it is to share thy home with a faithful wife; to have a tongue that never betrays thee; to serve only thy betters.
12
Happiness it is to have a true friend … and to speak the right word to an ear that listens.
13
Happy is he that wisdom gains and skill; yet is he no match for one who fears the Lord.
14
The fear of God, that is a gift beyond all gifts;
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blessed the man that receives it, he has no equal.
16
Fear the Lord, and thou shalt learn to love him; cling close, and thou shalt learn to trust him.

17
There is no sadness but what touches the heart, no mischief but what comes from woman.
18
A man will endure any wound but the heart’s wound,
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and any malice but a woman’s;
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just so he will endure any annoyance but from his ill-wishers,
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any sentence imposed on him but by his enemies.
22
No head so venomous as the viper’s,
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nor any anger like a woman’s. Better share thy home with lion and serpent both, than with an ill woman’s company.
24
A woman’s ill will changes the very look of her; grim as a bear’s her visage, and she goes like one mourning. See where he sits among his neighbours,
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that husband of hers, groaning deep and sighing as he listens to them!
26
All other mischief is a slight thing beside the mischief an ill woman does; may she fall to a sinner’s lot!
27
Better climb sandy cliff with the feet of old age, than be a peace-loving man mated with a scold.
28
Let not thy eye be caught by a woman’s beauty; not for her beauty desire her;
29
think of woman’s rage, her shamelessness, the dishonour she can do thee,
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how hard it goes with a man if his wife will have the uppermost.
31
Crushed spirits, a clouded brow, a heavy heart, all this is an ill woman’s work;
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faint hand and flagging knee betoken one unblessed in his marriage.
33
Through a woman sin first began; such fault was hers, we all must die for it.
34
Thy cistern thou wouldst not let leak, ever so little; and wouldst thou let a wanton wife roam at large?
35
Leave she once thy side, thou shalt be the laughing-stock of thy enemies;
36
best cut away the ill growth from thy flesh; she will ever be taking advantage of thee.