Proverbs 31
31
The Words of King Lemuel
1The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2What are you doing, my son?#31:2 Hebrew What, my son? What are you doing, #Isa. 49:15 son of my womb?
What are you doing, #[1 Sam. 1:27]son of my vows?
3Do #[ch. 5:9] not give your strength to women,
your ways to those #[ch. 7:26; Deut. 17:17; 1 Kgs. 11:1; Neh. 13:26]who destroy kings.
4 #
Eccles. 10:17; [1 Kgs. 16:9; 20:16] It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings #[Hos. 4:11] to drink wine,
or for rulers to take #ch. 20:1strong drink,
5lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and #[Isa. 5:22, 23]pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6Give strong drink to the one who #Job 29:13 is perishing,
and wine to #Job 3:20those in bitter distress;#31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul
7 # [Ps. 104:15] let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 #
Job 29:12, 15, 16; [Isa. 1:17] Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.#31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away
9Open your mouth, #Lev. 19:15; Deut. 1:16 judge righteously,
#
Jer. 22:16; [Isa. 1:17] defend the rights of #ver. 20; Ps. 40:17; 86:1the poor and needy.
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 # 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet #ch. 12:4; Ruth 3:11; [ch. 18:22; 19:14] An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than #Job 28:18jewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13She #[ver. 21, 22, 24]seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15She #[ch. 20:13] rises while it is yet night
and #Luke 12:42; [Ps. 111:5]provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She #[ver. 25]dresses herself#31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20She #[Rom. 12:13; Eph. 4:28] opens her hand to #[ver. 9]the poor
and reaches out her hands to #[ver. 9]the needy.
21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in #2 Sam. 1:24scarlet.#31:21 Or in double thickness
22She makes #ch. 7:16 bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is #Gen. 41:42; Rev. 19:8, 14 fine linen and #Judg. 8:26purple.
23Her husband is known in #See Ruth 4:1, 2the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes #Judg. 14:12; Isa. 3:23linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 # [ver. 17] Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many #Song 6:9 women have done #[ver. 10]excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 # [ch. 11:16] Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Proverbs 31
31
1 The words of king Lamuel. The vision by which his mother instructed him:
2 "What, O my beloved? What, O beloved of my womb? What, O beloved of my vows?
3 Do not give your substance to women, or your riches to overthrow kings.
4 Not to kings, O Lamuel, not to kings give wine. For there are no secrets where drunkenness reigns.
5 And perhaps they may drink and forget judgments, and alter the case of the sons of the poor.
6 Give strong drink to the grieving, and wine to those who are bitter in soul.
7 Let them drink, and forget their needs, and remember their sorrow no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute and for all the cases of the sons who are passing through.
9 Open your mouth, declare what is just, and do justice to the indigent and the poor.
10 Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price.
11 The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils.
12 She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands.
14 She has become like a merchant's ship, bringing her bread from far away.
15 And she has risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and provisions to her maids.
16 She has considered a field and bought it. From the fruit of her own hands, she has planted a vineyard.
17 She has wrapped her waist with fortitude, and she has strengthened her arm.
18 She has tasted and seen that her tasks are good; her lamp shall not be extinguished at night.
19 She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
20 She has opened her hand to the needy, and she has extended her hands to the poor.
21 She shall not fear, in the cold of snow, for her household. For all those of her household have been clothed two-fold.
22 She has made embroidered clothing for herself. Fine linen and purple is her garment.
23 Her husband is noble at the gates, when he sits among the senators of the land.
24 She has made finely woven cloth and sold it, and she has delivered a waistband to the Canaanite.
25 Strength and elegance are her clothing, and she will laugh in the final days.
26 She has opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
27 She has considered the paths of her household, and she has not eaten her bread in idleness.
28 Her sons rose up and predicted great happiness; her husband rose up and praised her.
29 Many daughters have gathered together riches; you have surpassed them all.
30 Charm is false, and beauty is vain. The woman who fears the Lord, the same shall be praised.
31 Give to her from the fruit of her own hands. And let her works praise her at the gates.
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