Proverbs 31

¹ 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 strong drink.

⁵ Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.

⁶ Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,

⁷ He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.

⁸ Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.

⁹ Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!’

¹⁰ A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.

¹¹ The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.

¹² She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.

¹³ She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.

¹⁴ She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.

¹⁵ Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.

¹⁶ She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.

¹⁷ She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.

¹⁸ She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.

¹⁹ Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.

²⁰ Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.

²¹ She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.

²² Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.

²³ Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.

²⁴ Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.

²⁵ Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.

²⁶ Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.

²⁷ She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.

²⁸ Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,

²⁹ ‘Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.’

³⁰ The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.

³¹ Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!