Sirach 25
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1THre things reioyce me, and by them am I beautified before God & men: the vnitie of brethren, the loue of neighbours, a man and wife that agre together. 2¶Thre sortes of men my soule hateth, & I vtterly abhorre the life of them: a poore man that is proude: a riche man that is a lier, and an olde adulterer that doteth. 3¶If thou hast gathered nothing in thy youth, what canst thou finde in thine age? 4¶Oh, how pleasant a thing is it when graie headed men minister iudgement, & when the elders can giue good counsel! 5Oh, how comelie a thing is wisdome vnto aged men, and vnderstanding and prudencie to men of honour! 6The crowne of olde men is to haue muche experience, and the feare of God is their glorie. 7¶There be nine things, which I haue iudged in mine heart to be happie, and the tenth wil I pronounce with my tongue: a man that while he liueth, hathe ioye of his children, and seeth the fall of his enemies. 8¶Wel is him that dwelleth with a wife of vnderstanding, and that hathe not fallen with his tongue, and that hathe not serued suche as are vnworthie of him. 9Wel is him that findeth prudencie, and he that can not speake in the eares of them that wil heare. 10¶Oh, how great is he that findeth wisdome! yet is there none aboue him, that feareth the Lord. 11The feare of the Lord passeth all things in clerenes. 12[Blessed is the man, vnto whome it is granted to haue the feare of God.] Vnto whome shal he be likened that hathe atteined it? 13The feare of the Lord is the beginning of his loue, and faith is the beginning to be ioyned vnto him. 14[¶The greatest heauines is the heauines of the heart, and the greatest malice is the malice of a woman.] 15Giue me any plague, saue onely the plague of the heart, and any malice, saue the malice of a woman: 16Or any assalt, saue the assalt of them that hate, or any vengeance, saue the vengeance of the enemie. 17There is not a more wicked head then the head of the serpent, and there is no wrath aboue the wrath of an enemie. 18I had rather dwell with a lion and dragon, then to kepe house with a wicked wife. 19The wickednes of a woman changeth her face, and maketh her countenance blacke as a sacke. 20Her housband is sitting among his neighbours: because of her he sigheth sore or he beware. 21All wickednes is but litle to the wickednes of a woman: let the porcion of the sinner fall vpon her. 22As the climing vp of a sandie way is to the fete of the aged, so is a wife ful of wordes to a quiet man. 23Stumble not at the beautie of a woman, and desire her not for thy pleasure. 24If a woman nourish her housband, she is angrie and impudent and ful of reproche. 25A wicked wife maketh a sorie heart, an heauie countenance, and a wounded minde, weake hands and feble knees, and can not comfort her housband in heauines. 26Of the woman came the beginning of sinne, and thorow her we all dye. 27Giue the water no passage, [no not a litle,] nether giue a wicked woman libertie to go out. 28If she walke not in thine obedience, [she shal confound thee in the sight of thine enemies.] Cut her of then from thy flesh: Giue her, and forsake her.
Chapters in Sirach