Глава 25

Love between people is the adornment of Wisdom; arrogance, lies, debauchery are Her reproach. The crown of the elders is multifaceted experience, their praise is the fear of the Lord. There is no head more poisonous than the head of a snake; there is no rage stronger than the rage of the enemy. You can endure any wound, but not a heart wound; all kind of anger, but not female anger. The wife is the beginning of sin, and through her we all die. Sir.25:1 In three ways I was adorned and became beautiful before the Lord and people: Sir.25:2 This is like-mindedness between brothers and love between neighbors, and wife and husband living in harmony with each other. Sir.25:3 And my soul hated three kinds of people, and their life was very disgusting to me: Sir.25:4 the arrogant beggar, the deceitful rich man, and the old adulterer, weakening in his mind. Sir.25:5 What you did not gather in your youth, how can you acquire it in your old age? Sir.25:6 How fitting it is for gray hairs to judge, and for old men to be able to give advice! Sir.25:7 How wonderful is the wisdom of the elders and how befitting of respectable people is wisdom and advice! Sir.25:8 The crown of the elders is multifaceted experience, and their praise is the fear of the Lord. Sir.25:9 I praised nine thoughts in my heart, and the tenth I expressed with my tongue: Sir.25:10 is a man who rejoices over children and during his lifetime sees the fall of his enemies. Sir.25:11 Blessed is he who lives with an intelligent wife, who does not sin with his tongue and does not serve himself unworthy. Sir.25:12 Blessed is he who has acquired wisdom and imparts it into the ears of those who listen. Sir.25:13 How great is he who has found wisdom! but he is not greater than the one who fears the Lord. Sir.25:14 The fear of the Lord surpasses all things, and whoever has it can be compared with whom? Sir.25:15 You can endure any wound, but not a wound of the heart, and all anger, but not the anger of a woman, Sir.25:16 every attack, but not an attack from those who hate, and all vengeance, but not the vengeance of enemies; Sir.25:17 There is no head more poisonous than the head of a serpent, and there is no fury greater than the fury of the enemy. Sir.25:18 I agree that it is better to live with a lion and a dragon than to live with an evil woman. Sir.25:19 A wife’s anger changes her gaze and makes her face gloomy, like a bear’s. Sir.25:20 Her husband will sit among his friends and, having heard about her, will sigh bitterly. Sir.25:21 All anger is small in comparison with the anger of a woman; let the sinner's lot fall on her. 21. Let the lot of the sinner fall on her, i.e. the fate of a sinner befall her. Sir.25:22 What climbing on sand is to the feet of an old man, so is a contentious wife to a quiet husband. 22. For a quiet husband, calming and convincing his shrewish wife is as difficult as climbing through deep sand is difficult for an old man's feet. Sir.25:23 Do not gaze at the beauty of a woman and do not lust after a wife. Sir.25:24 It will be vexation, shame and great disgrace when a wife prevails over her husband. Sir.25:25 A sad heart and a sad face and a wound in the heart is an evil woman. Sir.25:26 Hanging hands and weakened knees is a wife who does not make her husband happy. 26. A wife who does not make her husband happy is a mental and physical paralysis, causing her husband to sink both physically and mentally. Sir.25:27 From woman is the beginning of sin, and through her we all die. Sir.25:28 Do not give water a way out, nor an evil woman power; Sir.25:29 If she does not walk under your hand, then cut her off from your flesh. 29. Cut it off from your flesh, i.e. divorce her.