Old Testament

New Testament

Sirach 25:11-20 Common English Bible (CEB)

11. Fear of the Lord surpasses everything;those who possess it are incomparable.

13. Any wound, but not a wound to the heart;and any wickedness,but not a woman’s wickedness!

14. Any attack,but not an attack by those who hate;and any vengeance,but not the vengeance of enemies.

15. No poison is worse than a snake’s poison,and no anger is worsethan an enemy’s anger.

16. I would rather live with a lion or a serpentthan live with a wicked woman.

17. A woman’s wickednesschanges her appearance,and it darkens her face like that of a bear.

18. Her husband sits down amonghis neighborsand unintentionally groans bitterly.

19. Any evil is smallwhen compared to a woman’s evil;may she experience a sinner’s fate.

20. A talkative wife for a quiet husbandis like a sand dunebeneath the feet of an elderly person.

Read complete chapter Sirach 25