31:1 The words of King Lemuel, the pronouncement which his mother taught him:
31:2 What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
31:3 Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
31:4 It is not for kings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
31:5 Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And pervert the ①rights of all the ②needy.
▷ ①Lit judgment ②Lit sons of affliction
31:6 Give intoxicating drink to one who is perishing,
And wine to one ①whose life is bitter.
▷ ①Lit bitter of soul
31:7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
31:8 Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the ①rights of all the ②unfortunate.
▷ ①Lit judgment ②Lit sons of passing away
31:9 Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And ①defend the rights of the poor and needy.
▷ ①Lit judge the afflicted
31:10 An excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far above jewels.
31:11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
31:12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
31:13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her ①hands ②in delight.
▷ ①Lit palms ②Or willingly
31:14 She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
31:15 And she rises while it is still night
And gives food to her household,
And ①portions to her attendants.
▷ ①Or prescribed tasks
31:16 She considers a field and buys it;
From ①her earnings she plants a vineyard.
▷ ①Lit the fruit of her palms
31:17 She surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
31:18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
31:19 She stretches out her hands to the ①distaff,
And her ②hands grasp the spindle.
▷ ①I.e., the staff that holds the textile fibers for spinning ②Lit palms
31:20 She ①extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
▷ ①Lit spreads out her palm
31:21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
31:22 She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
31:23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
31:24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And ①supplies belts to the ②tradesmen.
▷ ①Lit gives ②Lit Canaanite
31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ①future.
▷ ①Lit latter days
31:26 She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ①teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
▷ ①Or law
31:27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
31:28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
31:29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
31:30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ①fears the LORD, she shall be praised.
▷ ①Or reveres
31:31 Give her the ①product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
▷ ①Lit fruit