Sirach 25:11-21

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

Evil and good women

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 worse than an enemy's anger.

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

17 A woman's wickedness changes her appearance, and it darkens her face like that of a bear.

18 Her husband sits down among his neighbors and unintentionally groans bitterly.

19 Any evil is small when compared to a woman's evil; may she experience a sinner's fate.

20 A talkative wife for a quiet husband is like a sand dune beneath the feet of an elderly person.

21 Don't fall for a woman's beauty, and don't long for a woman.

Footnotes

• [a] LXXb adds 25:12 Fear of the Lord is the start of loving him, and faith is the start of clinging to him.
• [b] In both cases, LXX has head.