Sirach 40:19-23 Catholic Public Domain Version (CPDV)

19. Sons, and the building of a city, will establish a name, but an immaculate wife will be ranked above these things.

20. Wine and music rejoice the heart, but the love of wisdom is above them both.

21. The flute and the psaltery make a sweet melody, but a pleasant word is above them both.

22. Your eye desires elegance and beauty, but verdant fields are above these things.

23. A friend and a companion meet one another in time, but above them both is a wife with her husband.

Sirach 40