Ben Sira 25:2-11

2 There are three kinds of people I cannot stand, whose behavior I find highly offensive: poor people who are arrogant, rich people who lie, <+->and foolish old men who commit adultery.
3 Unless you learn what you can while you are young, you will never be wise when you reach old age.
4 Sound judgment, good advice, and gray hair go together beautifully.
5 Wisdom, understanding, and sound counsel are appropriate to the aged and the respected.
6 Elderly people wear the crown of long experience, and they can boast of nothing finer than their fear of the Lord.
7 I will tell you about ten kinds of people that I feel fortunate to know, especially fortunate in the case of the tenth: someone who takes pride in his children, someone who lives to see his enemies fall, 8 a man fortunate enough to have an understanding wife, a married couple who are well-matched, a person who never speaks sinfully, a person who doesn't have to work for someone less competent than himself, 9 someone fortunate enough to have a real friend, a person that people are happy to listen to, 10 and the really great one: someone who is wise. But the greatest one of all is the person who fears the Lord.
11 Such a person has no equal, because the fear of the Lord is the most important thing in the world.

Footnotes 3

  • [a]. [Hebrew and one ancient translation] a married couple . . . well-matched; [Greek does not have these words.]
  • [b]. [Some ancient translations] real friend; [Greek] good sense.
  • [c]. [Some manuscripts add verse 12:] Fearing the Lord is the first step toward loving him, and faith is the first step toward loyalty to him.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.