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The Joy of a Good Wife

26Happy is the husband of a good wife;
   the number of his days will be doubled.
² A loyal wife brings joy to her husband,
   and he will complete his years in peace.
³ A good wife is a great blessing;
   she will be granted among the blessings of the man who fears the Lord.
⁴ Whether rich or poor, his heart is content,
   and at all times his face is cheerful.

The Worst of Evils: A Wicked Wife

⁵ Of three things my heart is frightened,
   and of a fourth I am in great fear:^*
Slander in the city, the gathering of a mob,
   and false accusation—all these are worse than death.
⁶ But it is heartache and sorrow when a wife is jealous of a rival,
   and a tongue-lashing makes it known to all.
⁷ A bad wife is a chafing yoke;
   taking hold of her is like grasping a scorpion.
⁸ A drunken wife arouses great anger;
   she cannot hide her shame.
⁹ The haughty stare betrays an unchaste wife;
   her eyelids give her away.

¹⁰ Keep strict watch over a headstrong daughter,
   or else, when she finds liberty, she will make use of it.
¹¹ Be on guard against her impudent eye,
   and do not be surprised if she sins against you.
¹² As a thirsty traveller opens his mouth
   and drinks from any water near him,
so she will sit in front of every tent-peg
   and open her quiver to the arrow.

The Blessing of a Good Wife

¹³ A wife’s charm delights her husband,
   and her skill puts flesh on his bones.
¹⁴ A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
   and nothing is so precious as her self-discipline.
¹⁵ A modest wife adds charm to charm,
   and no scales can weigh the value of her chastity.
¹⁶ Like the sun rising in the heights of the Lord,
   so is the beauty of a good wife in her well-ordered home.
¹⁷ Like the shining lamp on the holy lampstand,
   so is a beautiful face on a stately figure.
¹⁸ Like golden pillars on silver bases,
   so are shapely legs and steadfast feet.

Other ancient authorities add verses 19-27: +a

¹⁹ My child, keep sound the bloom of your youth,
   and do not give your strength to strangers.
²⁰ Seek a fertile field within the whole plain,
   and sow it with your own seed, trusting in your fine stock.
²¹ So your offspring will prosper,
   and, having confidence in their good descent, will grow great.
²² A prostitute is regarded as spittle,
   and a married woman as a tower of death to her lovers.
²³ A godless wife is given as a portion to a lawless man,
   but a pious wife is given to the man who fears the Lord.
²⁴ A shameless woman constantly acts disgracefully,
   but a modest daughter will even be embarrassed before her husband.
²⁵ A headstrong wife is regarded as a dog,
   but one who has a sense of shame will fear the Lord.
²⁶ A wife honouring her husband will seem wise to all,
   but if she dishonours him in her pride she will be known to all as ungodly.
   Happy is the husband of a good wife,
   for the number of his years will be doubled.
²⁷ A loud-voiced and garrulous wife is like a trumpet sounding the charge,
   and every person like this lives in the anarchy of war.

Three Depressing Things

²⁸ At two things my heart is grieved,
   and because of a third anger comes over me:
a warrior in want through poverty,
   intelligent men who are treated contemptuously,
and a man who turns back from righteousness to sin—
   the Lord will prepare him for the sword!

The Temptations of Commerce

²⁹ A merchant can hardly keep from wrongdoing,
   nor is a tradesman innocent of sin.