The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Ecclesiaticus 26
1 Happy is the husband of a good wife.
The number of his days will be doubled.
2 A faithful wife gives joy to her husband.
He will fulfill his years in peace.
3 A good wife is a great gift.
She will be given to those who
fear the Lord.
4 Whether a man is rich or poor,
a good heart makes a cheerful face at
all times.
5 Of three things my heart was afraid,
and concerning the fourth† kind I
made supplication: The slander of a
city, the assembly of a mob, and a false
accusation. All these are more
grievous than death.
6 A grief of heart and sorrow is a woman
who is jealous of another woman.
Her tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
7 A wicked woman is like a chafing yoke.
He who takes hold of her is like one
who grasps a scorpion.
8 A drunken woman causes great wrath.
She will not cover her own shame.
9 The fornication of a woman is in the
lifting up of her eyes;
it will be known by her eyelids.
10 Keep strict watch on a headstrong
daughter, lest shefind liberty for her
self, anduse it.
11 Watch out for an impudent eye, and don’t be
surprised ifit sins against you.
12 She will open her mouth like a thirsty
traveller, and drink from every
water that is near. She will sit down
at every post, and open her quiver
to any arrow.
13 The grace of a wife will delight
her husband. Her knowledge will streng
then‡ his bones.
14 A silent woman is a gift of the Lord.
There is nothing worth so much as a
well-instructed soul.
15 A modest woman is grace upon grace.
There are no scales that can weigh the
value of a self-controlled soul.
16 As the sun when it arises in the highest
places of the Lord, so is the beauty
of a good wife in her well-organized home.
17 As the lamp that shines upon the holy
lampstand, so is the beauty of the face on
a well proportioned body.
18 As the golden pillars are upon a base of
silver, so are beautiful feet with the breasts of
one who is stead fast.
19-27 §
28 For two things my heart is grieved,
and for the third anger comes upon
me: a warrior who suffers for poverty,
men of understanding who are counted as garbage,
and one who turns back from righteousness to sin—
the Lord will prepare him for the sword!
29 It is difficult for a merchant to keep
himself from wrong doing, and for a retailer
to be acquitted of sin.