CHAPTER 25
1 In three things it is pleased to my spirit, which be approved before God and men; according [or the accord] of brethren, and love of neighbours, [and] a man and woman well con-senting to themselves.
2 My soul hated three species, and I am grieved greatly to the soul of them; a poor man proud, and a rich man that is a liar, and an eld [or old] man that is a fool and unwitting [or doted].
3 How shalt thou find in thine eld age those things, which thou gather-ed not in thy youth?
4 Doom of discretion is full fair in hoariness [or How fair the doom in hoariness], either eld man, and to priests to know counsel.
5 Wisdom is full fair to eld [or old] men, and glorious understanding, and counsel.
6 The crown of eld [or old] men is in much knowing [or wisdom]; and the glory of them is the dread of God.
7 I magnified nine things unsus-pected of the heart; and I shall say the tenth thing by tongue to men. A man which living is merry [or joyed] in sons, and seeing the destroying of his enemies.
8 He is blessed [or Blissful] that dwelleth with a witting woman, and he that fell not [or is not slidden] by his tongue, and he that served not to men unworthy to himself.
9 He is blessed [or Blissful] that findeth a very friend, and he that telleth out rightfulness [or rightwise-ness] to an ear hearing [or the hearing ear].
10 He is full great that findeth wisdom and knowing; but he is not above him that dreadeth God*.
11 The dread of God hath set itself above all things. Blessed is the man to whom it is given to have the dread of God; to whom shall he be likened, that holdeth that dread?
12 The dread of God is the begin-ning of his love; forsooth the begin-ning of faith is to be fast-joined thereto [or to be joined to him].
13 The sorrow of heart is each wound; and the wickedness of a woman is all [or each] malice†. A leech shall see each wound, and not the wound of heart; and all wicked-ness, and not the wickedness of a woman;
(This verse, and those which follow to the end of this chapter, are only found in some early copies of this book, and are more reflective of that author’s bitter personal experience, than of divine inspiration. T.P.N.)
14 and each covering [or all hid thing], that is, colouring of malice, and not the covering [or hid thing] of haters; and each [or all] vengeance, and not the vengeance of enemies.
15 None head is worse than [or wickeder over] the head of an adder dwelling in shadow; and none ire is above the ire of a woman [or there is not wrath over the wrath of a woman].
16 It shall please more to dwell with a lion and a dragon, than to dwell with a wicked woman.
17 The wickedness of a woman changeth her face; and she blinded her cheer as a bear doeth, and she shall show as a sackcloth in the midst of neighbours.
18 Her husband wailed; and his wicked wife heard, and sighed a little. [The husband of her greatly wailed; and hearing, sighed a little.]
19 All malice is short on or little compared to the malice of a woman; the part [or the lot] of sinners, that is, the pain of hell, fall on her.
20 As a going-up full of gravel in the feet of an eld [or old] man, so is a woman that is a great jangler to a peaceable man [or a tonguey woman to a quiet man].
21 Behold thou not the fairness of a woman, and covet thou not a woman for her fairness.
22 The ire and unreverence of a woman to her husband is a great shame. If a woman hath the first dignity [or mastery], either chief governail, she is contrary to her husband.
23 A low heart, and sorrowful face, and wound of death, is a wicked woman. Feeble hands and knees unbound, cometh from a woman that blesseth not her husband [or a woman that maketh not blissful or blessful her husband].
24 The beginning of sin was made of a woman; and all we die by her [or by her all we die].
25 Give thou not issue to thy water, yea, not a little issue; neither to a wicked woman freedom, [or leave], of going forth [or going out].
26 If she goeth not at thine hand, she shall shame thee in the sight of thine enemies. Cut her away from thy fleshes, lest ever[more] she mis-use thee.
* CHAPTER 25:10 The dread of God is the more good, and passeth all goods beforesaid. † CHAPTER 25:13 That is, as the sorrow of heart passeth each wound of body, so the malice of a woman passeth all the malice of a man.