Sirach 26

Wycliffe Bible

26 The husband of a good woman is blessed; for why the number of her years is double. [Blessed is the man of a good woman; the number forsooth of the years of him double.]

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

³ A 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.

⁴ Forsooth (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. [Of rich forsooth and (or) poor the good heart; in all time the cheer of them gladsome.]

⁵ Mine heart dreaded of three things, and my face dreaded in (or of) the fourth thing [or Of three things dreaded mine heart, and in (or of) the fourth my face was afeared]. 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.

⁶ The sorrow of heart, and mourning, is a jealous woman. In a jealous woman is (a) beating of (the) tongue, and she communeth with all men. [Sorrow of heart, and wailing, a jealous woman. In a jealous woman scourge of tongue, to all communing.]

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

⁸ A drunken woman is great ire, and despising; and her filth(hood) shall not be covered. [A drunken woman great wrath and strife; the filthhood of her shall not be covered.]

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

¹⁰ Make thou firm the keeping in (or of) a daughter not turning away herself; lest she mis-use herself, if she findeth (an) occasion. [In a daughter not turning away herself fasten ward; lest, occasion found, she mis-use herself.]

¹¹ Be thou ware of all unreverence of her eyes; and wonder thou not, if she despiseth thee. [From or For all the irreverence of the eyes of her (be)ware; and not wonder thou, if she despise thee.]

¹² As 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 and against all arrow(s) shall open the quiver], till she fail.

¹³ The grace of a busy woman shall delight her husband; and shall make fat his bones. [The grace of a busy woman shall delight her man; and the bones of him she shall fatten.]

¹⁴ The cunning (or the knowing) of her is the gift of God. A wise woman and a still (one) is not changing of a learned soul. [The discipline of her is the gift of God. A well-feeling woman and a still is not the changing of the taught soul.]

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

¹⁶ As 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, [or the adorning] of her house.

¹⁷ A lantern shining on an holy candlestick, and the fairness of a face on (or in) 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. [A shining lantern upon an holy candlestick, and the fairness of the face upon the stable age.]

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

¹⁹ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁰ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²¹ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²² (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²³ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁴ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁵ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁶ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁷ (This verse is omitted in the original text.)

²⁸ In two things mine heart was made sorry, 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 from rightfulness to sin. [In two things mine heart is made sorrowful, and in the third wrathing to me came. A man fighter failing by mis-ease, and a man well feeling, or perceiving, despised. And that over-goeth from rightwiseness to sin, God prepared him to (or for) a two-biting sword.]

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