Chapter 3

1Let a wife obey and be subject to her husband, for “the head of a wife is her husband,” and the head of the man who walks in the way of righteousness is Christ; and “the head of Christ is God” the Father, who is above all, who was and is to come, the Creator of all, together with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom belong honor, greatness, majesty, and glory. Women, you also must obey your husbands and be subject to them with humility, honor, and the fear of God. Delight your husbands through good service, so that you may find favor with them, as we said before.

2For thus says the wisdom of Solomon: “If any man has found a brave woman, she is more precious than a jewel of great price. Such a woman—the heart of her husband trusts in her; such a woman—good spoil will not be lacking. She helps her husband with good in good, and not with evil in evil, throughout her life. She cards wool and flax and has worked with her hands at what is good. She is like a ship trading far away, and she gathers for herself every kind of wealth. She rises during the night, gives food to her household, and assigns tasks to her handmaidens. She saw a field and bought it; with the fruit of her hands she planted a possession. She firmly girded her waist and put her hands to the work. She tasted that labor is good, and her lamp does not go out all night long. She stretches out her hands toward what is profitable, and her arm is strong for spinning. She opened her hands in mercy to the needy, and the palm of her hand is stretched out to the poor. Her husband has no anxiety about his house, even if he remains away somewhere for a long time.”

3“All her household are clothed. She made double cloaks of fine linen and purple for her husband, and she made garments for herself. Her husband becomes notable in the gates when he sits in the assembly with the elders of the land. She made linen garments and gave them away, and she made girdles for the Canaanites. She opened her mouth according to the law and set a fence around her tongue. She was clothed with strength and beauty and rejoiced in the latter days. Those who enter her house are many; she has not eaten the bread of idleness.”

4“She opens her mouth with wisdom and according to the ordinance of the law; her almsgiving has raised children and enriched [the text is incomplete here], and her husband has praised her. Many daughters have obtained riches, and many have acted mightily, but you excel and have surpassed them all. Flattery is deceitful, and beauty is despised, but a wise woman shall be blessed, and a woman who fears the Lord shall be extolled. Give her from the fruit of her lips, and let her husband be praised in the gates.”

5Thus you women may know that a woman who loves her husband will find honor, blessing, and compassion with the Lord God. Take heed and understand, O woman who desires and wishes to be faithful, so that you may please the Lord. Do not boast about yourself or adorn yourself for another man. Do not clothe yourself in splendid apparel or put sandals on your feet for display, as prostitutes do to lead men astray. Instead, keep yourself from all evildoing and adultery, lest other men sin because of you. Rather, obey your husband and show kindness to him.

6But if you desire to walk about in the assembly and the streets to ensnare the souls of many, then judgment from God shall come upon you. You shall be like one who has no hope, as when a wicked man falls into great affliction and brings disgrace, dishonor, and sorrow upon himself. In the same way, a wicked woman brings dishonor upon herself; and as a lion lies in wait and tears apart, so she ensnares fools. It is written: “As moths destroy a garment, and as decay destroys a tree, so sorrow wastes the heart of a man.” Furthermore, it is said: “It is better to dwell in the wilderness than to dwell with a quarrelsome, talkative, and passionate woman.”

7And now I also say to you, O Christian people: do not look toward or follow adulterous women. It is right for faithful women to veil themselves in purity, not seeking to enhance the beauty of their faces by placing dyes, paint, and adornment—which are of no profit—upon the form God created. Let them not act in this way. Rather, when they walk along the way, let them incline their heads and remain veiled. Take heed to yourselves, faithful women, and say no hateful word to anyone, and above all not to your husbands.

8O good and gentle women, worship God with joy and gladness. And you also, our children, our brothers, our kinsmen, and our beloved ones, seek the precious wisdom that adorns our life, enlightens our hearts, brings us close to God, and gains for us entrance into the kingdom of heaven, into eternal life and rest.