Proverbs 31 - English Standard Version (ESV)

The Words of King Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2 What are you doing, my son?[a] What are you doing, (A)son of my womb?
What are you doing, (B)son of my vows?
3 Do (C)not give your strength to women,
your ways to those (D)who destroy kings.
4 (E)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings (F)to drink wine,
or for rulers to take (G)strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and (H)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who (I)is perishing,
and wine to (J)those in bitter distress;[b]
7 (K)let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 (L)Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.[c]
9 Open your mouth, (M)judge righteously,
(N)defend the rights of (O)the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [d] (P)An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than (Q)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 harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She (R)seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She (S)rises while it is yet night
and (T)provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She (U)dresses herself[e] with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She (V)opens her hand to (W)the poor
and reaches out her hands to (X)the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in (Y)scarlet.[f]
22 She makes (Z)bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is (AA)fine linen and (AB)purple.
23 Her husband is known in (AC)the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (AD)linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 (AE)Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many (AF)women have done (AG)excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 (AH)Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?
  2. Proverbs 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul
  3. Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away
  4. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  5. Proverbs 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins
  6. Proverbs 31:21 Or in double thickness

Cross references

  1. Proverbs 31:2 : Isa. 49:15
  2. Proverbs 31:2 : [1 Sam. 1:27]
  3. Proverbs 31:3 : [ch. 5:9]
  4. Proverbs 31:3 : [ch. 7:26; Deut. 17:17; 1 Kgs. 11:1; Neh. 13:26]
  5. Proverbs 31:4 : Eccles. 10:17; [1 Kgs. 16:9; 20:16]
  6. Proverbs 31:4 : [Hos. 4:11]
  7. Proverbs 31:4 : ch. 20:1
  8. Proverbs 31:5 : [Isa. 5:22, 23]
  9. Proverbs 31:6 : Job 29:13
  10. Proverbs 31:6 : Job 3:20
  11. Proverbs 31:7 : [Ps. 104:15]
  12. Proverbs 31:8 : Job 29:12, 15, 16; [Isa. 1:17]
  13. Proverbs 31:9 : Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:16
  14. Proverbs 31:9 : Jer. 22:16; [Isa. 1:17]
  15. Proverbs 31:9 : ver. 20; Ps. 40:17; 86:1
  16. Proverbs 31:10 : ch. 12:4; Ruth 3:11; [ch. 18:22; 19:14]
  17. Proverbs 31:10 : Job 28:18
  18. Proverbs 31:13 : [ver. 21, 22, 24]
  19. Proverbs 31:15 : [ch. 20:13]
  20. Proverbs 31:15 : Luke 12:42; [Ps. 111:5]
  21. Proverbs 31:17 : [ver. 25]
  22. Proverbs 31:20 : [Rom. 12:13; Eph. 4:28]
  23. Proverbs 31:20 : [ver. 9]
  24. Proverbs 31:20 : [ver. 9]
  25. Proverbs 31:21 : 2 Sam. 1:24
  26. Proverbs 31:22 : ch. 7:16
  27. Proverbs 31:22 : Gen. 41:42; Rev. 19:8, 14
  28. Proverbs 31:22 : Judg. 8:26
  29. Proverbs 31:23 : See Ruth 4:1, 2
  30. Proverbs 31:24 : Judg. 14:12; Isa. 3:23
  31. Proverbs 31:25 : [ver. 17]
  32. Proverbs 31:29 : Song 6:9
  33. Proverbs 31:29 : [ver. 10]
  34. Proverbs 31:30 : [ch. 11:16]

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Proverbs 31 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

31 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him: 2 `What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? 3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings. 4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of stron...
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Proverbs 31 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

31 The words of Lemuel, the king; the vision by which his mother taught him. 2 What, my darling? what, the darling of my womb? what, the darling of my desires? (What, my darling? what is it, the darling of my womb? what is it, the answer to my prayers?) 3 Give thou not thy chattel to women (Give tho...
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Proverbs 31 - World English Bible (WEB)

31 The words of king Lemuel; the revelation which his mother taught him. 2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.4 It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Wh...
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Proverbs 31 - The Voice (VOICE)

31 These are the words of King Lemuel. An oracle of wisdom handed down to him by his mother: 2 Mother: What shall I say to you, my son? What wisdom can I impart, child of my womb? What insight can I share, son of my vows?3 Do not waste your strength on women or invest yourself in women who would de...
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Proverbs 31 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

A Mother’s Warning31 The words of King Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught him: 2 O my son, O son of my womb,O son of my vows,3 do not give your vigor to women,or your ways to what ruins kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel,it is not for kings to drink wine,or for rulers to crave strong drink,...
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Proverbs 31 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of Lemuel, king of Massa,[a] which his mother taught him: 2 What, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?3 Give not your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink ...
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Proverbs 31 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of Lemuel, king of Massa,[a] which his mother taught him: 2 What, my son? What, son of my womb? What, son of my vows?3 Give not your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink ...
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Proverbs 31 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him: 2 No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows!3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, o...
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Proverbs 31 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:(A)2 No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows!(B)3 Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.(C)4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink...
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Proverbs 31 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Sayings of King Lemuel31 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message,[a] which his mother taught him. 2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcoho...
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Proverbs 31 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Wisdom of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which his mother taught him: 2 What, my son? What, son who came from within me? What, son of my promises? 3 Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is ...
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Proverbs 31 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: 2 What, my son?And what, son of my womb?And what, (A)son of my vows?3 (B)Do not give your strength to women,Nor your ways (C)to that which destroys kings. 4 (D)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,It is...
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Proverbs 31 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Sayings of King Lemuel31 The sayings of King Lemuel – an inspired utterance his mother taught him. 2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!3 Do not spend your strength[a] on women, your vigour on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel – it is n...
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Proverbs 31 - New International Version (NIV)

Sayings of King Lemuel31 The sayings(A) of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him. 2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!(B)3 Do not spend your strength[a] on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.(C) 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel— it...
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Proverbs 31 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Sayings of King Lemuel31 These are the sayings of King Lemuel. His mother taught them to him. These sayings came from God. 2 Listen, my son! Listen, my very own son! Listen, you who are the answer to my prayers!3 Don’t waste your strength on women. Don’t waste it on those who destroy kings. 4 Le...
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Wise Words of King Lemuel31 These are the words of King Lemuel, the message his mother taught him: 2 “My son, I gave birth to you. You are the son I prayed for.3 Don’t waste your strength on women or your time on those who ruin kings. 4 “Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel, and rulers should not des...
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