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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Proverbs 31: KJVAE
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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
1The sayings of King Lemuel, a prophetic revelation, used by his mother to discipline him.
Advice to a Prince
2“What, my son?
What, son to whom I gave birth?
What, son of my prayers?
3Don’t give your strength to women
or your power to those who ruin kings.
4“It is not for kings, Lemuel.
It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave liquor.
5Otherwise, they drink and forget what they have decreed
and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people.
6Give liquor to a person who is dying
and wine to one who feels resentful.
7Such a person drinks
and forgets his poverty
and does not remember his trouble anymore.
8“Speak out for the one who cannot speak,
for the rights of those who are doomed.
9Speak out,
judge fairly,
and defend the rights of oppressed and needy people.”
A Poem in Hebrew Alphabetical Order
10“Who can find a wife with a strong character?
She is worth far more than jewels.
11Her husband trusts her with ⌞all⌟ his heart,
and he does not lack anything good.
12She helps him and never harms him all the days of her life.
13“She seeks out wool and linen ⌞with care⌟
and works with willing hands.
14She is like merchant ships.
She brings her food from far away.
15She wakes up while it is still dark
and gives food to her family
and portions of food to her female slaves.
16“She picks out a field and buys it.
She plants a vineyard from the profits she has earned.
17She puts on strength like a belt
and goes to work with energy.
18She sees that she is making a good profit.
Her lamp burns late at night.
19“She puts her hands on the distaff,
and her fingers hold a spindle.
20She opens her hands to oppressed people
and stretches them out to needy people.
21She does not fear for her family when it snows
because her whole family
has a double layer of clothing.
22She makes quilts for herself.
Her clothes are ⌞made of⌟ linen and purple cloth.
23“Her husband is known at the city gates
when he sits with the leaders of the land.
24“She makes linen garments and sells them
and delivers belts to the merchants.
25She dresses with strength and nobility,
and she smiles at the future.
26“She speaks with wisdom,
and on her tongue there is tender instruction.
27She keeps a close eye on the conduct of her family,
and she does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children and her husband
stand up and bless her.
In addition, he sings her praises, by saying,
29‘Many women have done noble work,
but you have surpassed them all!’
30“Charm is deceptive, and beauty evaporates,
⌞but⌟ a woman who has the fear of the Lord should be praised.
31Reward her for what she has done,
and let her achievements praise her at the city gates.”
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