Proverbs 31
31
Admonitions to a King
1The words of king Lem´u-el, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2What, my son?
And what, the son of my womb?
And what, the son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women,
nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lem´u-el,
it is not for kings to drink wine;
nor for princes strong drink:
5lest they drink, and forget the law,
and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
and remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb
in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously,
and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
Praise of a Good Woman
10Who can find a virtuous woman?
For her price is far above rubies.
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,
so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12She will do him good and not evil
all the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands.
14She is like the merchants' ships;
she bringeth her food from afar.
15She riseth also while it is yet night,
and giveth meat to her household,
and a portion to her maidens.
16She considereth a field, and buyeth it:
with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17She girdeth her loins with strength,
and strengtheneth her arms.
18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:
her candle goeth not out by night.
19She layeth her hands to the spindle,
and her hands hold the distaff.
20She stretcheth our her hand to the poor;
yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household:
for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;
her clothing is silk and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates,
when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it;
and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and honor are her clothing;
and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom;
and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She looketh well to the ways of her household,
and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29Many daughters have done virtuously,
but thou excellest them all.
30Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain:
but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands;
and let her own works praise her in the gates.
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King James Version 1611, spelling, punctuation and text formatting modernized by ABS in 1962; typesetting © 2010 American Bible Society.
Proverbs 31
31
Wise Words of King Lemuel
1These are the words of King Lemuel. This is the message his mother taught him:
2“My son, I gave birth to you.
You are the son I prayed for.
3Don’t waste your strength on women.
Don’t waste your time on those who ruin kings.
4“Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel.
Rulers should not desire beer.
5If they drink, they might forget the law.
They might keep the needy from getting their rights.
6Give beer to people who are dying.
And give wine to those who are sad.
7Let them drink and forget their need.
Then they won’t remember their misery anymore.
8“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves.
Defend the rights of all those who have nothing.
9Speak up and judge fairly.
Defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
The Good Wife
10It is hard to find an excellent wife.
She is worth more than rubies.
11Her husband trusts her completely.
With her, he has everything he needs.
12She does him good and not harm
for as long as she lives.
13She looks for wool and linen.
She likes to work with her hands.
14She is like a trader’s ship.
She goes far to get food.
15She gets up while it is still dark.
She prepares food for her family.
She also feeds her servant girls.
16She looks at a field and buys it.
With money she has earned, she plants a vineyard.
17She does her work with energy.
Her arms are strong.
18She makes sure that what she makes is good.
She works by her lamp late into the night.
19She makes thread with her hands
and weaves her own cloth.
20She welcomes the poor.
She helps the needy.
21She does not worry about her family when it snows.
They all have fine clothes to keep them warm.
22She makes coverings for her bed.
Her clothes are made of linen and other expensive material.
23Her husband is recognized at the city meetings.
He makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.
24She makes linen clothes and sells them.
She provides belts to the merchants.
25She is strong and is respected by the people.
She looks forward to the future with joy.
26She speaks wise words.
And she teaches others to be kind.
27She watches over her family.
And she is always busy.
28Her children bless her.
Her husband also praises her.
29He says, “There are many excellent wives,
but you are better than all of them.”
30Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you.
But a woman who respects the Lord should be praised.
31Give her the reward she has earned.
She should be openly praised for what she has done.
Proverbs 21
Proverbs 25
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