Ben Sira 40:23-29

23 You can't go wrong with a good friend or neighbor, but an intelligent wife is better than either.
24 Relatives and helpers are good to have in times of trouble, but it will be an even greater help if you have made a practice of giving to the poor.
25 Gold and silver provide security, but good advice is better.
26 Wealth and strength give confidence, but the fear of the Lord can give you even greater confidence. When you fear the Lord you need nothing more; it is all the support you need.
27 The fear of the Lord is like a rich garden of blessings; you could not want a more glorious shelter.
28 My child, don't live the life of a beggar; it is better to die than to beg.
29 If you have to depend on someone else for your food, you are not really living your own life. You pollute yourself by accepting food from another. Begging is torture to the soul of any sensitive person.

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. [Hebrew] an intelligent wife is; [Greek] a wife and a husband are.
  • [b]. [Hebrew] Begging . . . person; [Greek] An intelligent and understanding person will avoid it.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.