Proverbs 31
The Words of Lemuel
1The words of King Lemuel, the ▼▼ Or burden
oracle which his mother taught him: 2What, O my son?And what, O bson of my womb?
And what, O son of my cvows?
3 dDo not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which edestroys kings.
4It is not for fkings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to gdrink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And hpervert the ▼
▼ Lit judgment
rights of all the ▼▼ Lit sons of affliction
afflicted.6Give strong drink to him who is kperishing,
And wine to him ▼
▼ Lit bitter of soul
,
mwhose life is bitter.7Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
8 nOpen your mouth for the mute,
For the ▼
▼ Lit judgment
rights of all the ▼▼ Lit sons of passing away
unfortunate.9Open your mouth, qjudge righteously,
And ▼
▼ Lit judge the afflicted
defend the srights of the afflicted and needy.Description of a Worthy Woman
10An texcellent wife, who can find?For her worth is far uabove jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13She looks for wool and flax
And works with her ▼
▼ Lit palms
hands ▼▼ Or willingly
in delight.14She is like xmerchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15She yrises also while it is still night
And zgives food to her household
And ▼
▼ Or prescribed tasks
portions to her maidens.16She considers a field and buys it;
From ▼
▼ Lit the fruit of her palms
her earnings she plants a vineyard.17She acgirds ▼
▼ Lit her loins
herself with strengthAnd makes her arms strong.
18She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her ▼
▼ Lit palms
hands grasp the spindle.20She ▼
▼ Lit spreads out her palm
,
agextends her hand to the poor,And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are ahclothed with scarlet.
22She makes aicoverings for herself;
Her clothing is ajfine linen and akpurple.
23Her husband is known alin the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes amlinen garments and sells them,
And ▼
▼ Lit gives
supplies belts to the ▼▼ Lit Canaanite
tradesmen.25Strength and apdignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ▼
▼ Lit latter days
future.26She aropens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ▼
▼ Or law
teaching of kindness is on her tongue.27She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the atbread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ▼
▼ Or reverences
,
avfears the Lord, she shall be praised.31Give her the ▼
▼ Lit fruit
product of her hands,And let her works praise her in the gates.
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