Proverbs 31

The Words of Lemuel

1 The words of King Lemuel, the pronouncement which his mother taught him:

2 What, my son?
And what, ^ason of my womb?
And what, son of my ^bvows?
3 ^cDo not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which ^ddestroys kings.
4 It is not for ^ekings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to ^fdrink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
5 Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^gpervert the ▼

▼Lit judgment

rights of all the ▼

▼Lit sons of affliction

needy.
6 Give intoxicating drink to one who is ^jperishing,
And wine to one ▼

▼Lit bitter of soul

, ^lwhose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
8 ^mOpen your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the ▼

▼Lit judgment

rights of all the ▼

▼Lit sons of passing away

unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, ^pjudge righteously,
And ▼

▼Lit judge the afflicted

defend the ^rrights of the poor and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An ^sexcellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far ^tabove jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her ▼

▼Lit palms

hands ▼

▼Or willingly

in delight.
14 She is like ^wmerchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she ^xrises while it is still night
And ^ygives food to her household,
And ▼

▼Or prescribed tasks

portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From ▼

▼Lit the fruit of her palms

her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She ^absurrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the ▼

▼I.e., the staff that holds the textile fibers for spinning

distaff,
And her ▼

▼Lit palms

hands grasp the spindle.
20 She ▼

▼Lit spreads out her palm

, ^afextends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are ^agclothed with scarlet.
22 She makes ^ahcoverings for herself;
Her clothing is ^aifine linen and ^ajpurple.
23 Her husband is known ^akin the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes ^allinen garments and sells them,
And ▼

▼Lit gives

supplies belts to the ▼

▼Lit Canaanite

tradesmen.
25 Strength and ^aodignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ▼

▼Lit latter days

future.
26 She ^aqopens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ▼

▼Or law

teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the ^asbread of idleness.
28 Her 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.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ▼

▼Or reveres

, ^aufears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the ▼

▼Lit fruit

product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.