Sir 26

1 The hosebonde of a good womman is blessid; for whi the noumbre of her yeeris is double. 2 A strong womman delitith hir hosebonde; and shal fille in pees the yeeris of his lijf. 3 A good womman is a good part; in the good part of hem that dreden God, sche schal be youun to a man for goode dedis. 4 Forsothe the herte of a riche man and of a pore man is good; in al tyme her cheer is glad. 5 Myn herte dredde of thre thingis, and my face dredde in the fourthe thing. 6 Bitraiyng of a citee, and the gadering togidere of puple, 7 and fals chaleng; alle thingis greuouse on deth. 8 The sorewe of herte, and morenyng is a ielouse womman. 9 In a gelouse womman is betyng of tunge, and sche comyneth with alle men. 10 As a yok of oxis which is mouyd, so and a wickid womman; he that holdith hir, is as he that takith a scorpioun. 11 A drunkelew womman is greet ire, and dispisyng; and hir filthe schal not be hilid. 12 The fornycacioun of a womman is in the reisyng of yyen; and schal be knowun in the iye liddis of hir. 13 Make thou sad kepyng in a douytir not turnynge a wei hir silf; lest sche mysvse hir silf, if sche fyndith occasioun. 14 Be thou war of al vnreuerence of hir iyen; and wondre thou not, if sche dispisith thee. 15 As a weiegoere thirstynge schal opene the mouth at a welle, and schal drynke of ech watir next; and the forseid douytir schal sitte ayens ech pale, and schal opene the arowe caas ayens ech arowe, til sche faile. 16 The grace of a bisi womman schal delite hir hosebonde; and schal make fat hise boonus. 17 The kunnyng of hir is the yifte of God. 18 A wijs womman and stille is not chaungyng of a lernyd soule. 19 Grace on grace is an hooli womman, and schamfast. 20 Forsothe al weiyng is not worth a contynent soule. 21 As the sunne risynge in the world in the hiyeste thingis of God, so the fairnesse of a good womman is in to the ournement of hir hous. 22 A lanterne schynynge on an hooli candilstike, and the fairnesse of a face on stidfast age. 23 Goldun pileris on siluerne foundementis, and stidfast feet on the soolis of a stidfast womman. 24 Euerlastynge foundementis on a sad stoon, and the heestis of God in the herte of an hooli womman. 25 In twei thingis myn herte was maad sori, and in the thridde thing wrathfulnesse cam to me. 26 A man a werriour failynge bi nedynesse, and a wijs man dispisid. 27 And God hath maad hym redi to the swerd, that passith ouer fro riytfulnesse to synne. 28 Twei spices apperiden harde and perilouse to me; a marchaunt is delyuered of hard fro his necgligence, and a tauerner schal not be iustified of synnes of lippis.