The Words of Lemuel
31 The words of King Lemuel, the [a]oracle which his mother taught him:
2 What, O my son?
And what, O (A)son of my womb?
And what, O son of my (B)vows?
3 (C)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which (D)destroys kings.
4 It is not for (E)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (F)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And (G)pervert the [b]rights of all the [c]afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to him who is (H)perishing,
And wine to him [d](I)whose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
8 (J)Open your mouth for the mute,
For the [e]rights of all the [f]unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, (K)judge righteously,
And [g]defend the (L)rights of the afflicted and needy.
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An (M)excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far (N)above 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 flax
And works with her [h]hands [i]in delight.
14 She is like (O)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 She (P)rises also while it is still night
And (Q)gives food to her household
And [j]portions to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [k]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She (R)girds [l]herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her [m]hands grasp the spindle.
20 She [n](S)extends 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 (T)clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes (U)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is (V)fine linen and (W)purple.
23 Her husband is known (X)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (Y)linen garments and sells them,
And [o]supplies belts to the [p]tradesmen.
25 Strength and (Z)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [q]future.
26 She (AA)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [r]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the (AB)bread 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 [s](AC)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [t]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:1 Or burden
- Proverbs 31:5 Lit judgment
- Proverbs 31:5 Lit sons of affliction
- Proverbs 31:6 Lit bitter of soul
- Proverbs 31:8 Lit judgment
- Proverbs 31:8 Lit sons of passing away
- Proverbs 31:9 Lit judge the afflicted
- Proverbs 31:13 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:13 Or willingly
- Proverbs 31:15 Or prescribed tasks
- Proverbs 31:16 Lit the fruit of her palms
- Proverbs 31:17 Lit her loins
- Proverbs 31:19 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:20 Lit spreads out her palm
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit gives
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit Canaanite
- Proverbs 31:25 Lit latter days
- Proverbs 31:26 Or law
- Proverbs 31:30 Or reverences
- Proverbs 31:31 Lit fruit
Cross references
- Proverbs 31:2 : Is 49:15
- Proverbs 31:2 : 1 Sam 1:11
- Proverbs 31:3 : Prov 5:9
- Proverbs 31:3 : Deut 17:17; 1 Kin 11:1; Neh 13:26
- Proverbs 31:4 : Eccl 10:17
- Proverbs 31:4 : Prov 20:1; Is 5:22; Hos 4:11
- Proverbs 31:5 : Ex 23:6; Deut 16:19; Prov 17:15
- Proverbs 31:6 : Job 29:13
- Proverbs 31:6 : Job 3:20; Is 38:15
- Proverbs 31:8 : Job 29:12-17; Ps 82
- Proverbs 31:9 : Lev 19:15; Deut 1:16
- Proverbs 31:9 : Is 1:17; Jer 22:16
- Proverbs 31:10 : Ruth 3:11; Prov 12:4; 19:14
- Proverbs 31:10 : Job 28:18; Prov 8:11
- Proverbs 31:14 : Ezek 27:25
- Proverbs 31:15 : Prov 20:13; Rom 12:11
- Proverbs 31:15 : Luke 12:42
- Proverbs 31:17 : 1 Kin 18:46; 2 Kin 4:29; Job 38:3
- Proverbs 31:20 : Deut 15:11; Job 31:16-20; Prov 22:9; Rom 12:13; Eph 4:28
- Proverbs 31:21 : 2 Sam 1:24
- Proverbs 31:22 : Prov 7:16
- Proverbs 31:22 : Gen 41:42; Rev 19:8, 14
- Proverbs 31:22 : Judg 8:26; Luke 16:19
- Proverbs 31:23 : Deut 16:18; Ruth 4:1, 11
- Proverbs 31:24 : Judg 14:12
- Proverbs 31:25 : 1 Tim 2:9, 10
- Proverbs 31:26 : Prov 10:31
- Proverbs 31:27 : Prov 19:15
- Proverbs 31:30 : Ps 112:1; Prov 22:4