Proverbs 31 (NRSVUE) (2024)

The Teaching of King Lemuel’s Mother

31The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:^(A)

²No, my son! No, son of my womb!
No, son of my vows!^(B)
3Do not give your strength to women,
your ways to those who destroy kings.^(C)
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings to drink wine
or for rulers to desire^[a] strong drink,^(D)
5lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink to one who is perishing
and wine to those in bitter distress;
⁷let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
⁸Speak out for those who cannot speak,
for the rights of all the destitute.^[b](E)
9Speak out; judge righteously;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.^(F)

Ode to a Woman of Strength

¹⁰A woman of strength who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.^(G)
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 seeks wool and flax
and works with willing hands.^(H)
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from far away.
¹⁵She rises while it is still night
and provides food for her household
and tasks for her female servants.^(I)
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷She girds herself 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 opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.^(J)
21She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
for all her household are clothed in crimson.^(K)
22She makes herself coverings;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the city gates,
taking his seat among the elders of the land.^(L)
24She makes linen garments and sells them;
she supplies the merchant with sashes.
²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.^(M)
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.^(N)
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.^(O)
28Her children rise up and call her happy;
her husband, too, and he praises her:
²⁹“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”^(P)
30Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.^(Q)
31Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the city gates.

The Words of King Lemuel

31The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

²What are you doing, my son?^[a] What are you doing, ^(A)son of my womb?
What are you doing, ^(B)son of my vows?
³Do ^(C)not give your strength to women,
your ways to those ^(D)who destroy kings.
^4(E)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings ^(F)to drink wine,
or for rulers to take ^(G)strong drink,
⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and ^(H)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink to the one who ^(I)is perishing,
and wine to ^(J)those in bitter distress;^[b]
7(K)let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
^8(L)Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.^[c]
9Open your mouth, ^(M)judge righteously,
^(N)defend the rights of ^(O)the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

^{10[d] (P)}An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than ^(Q)jewels.
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 ^(R)seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵She ^(S)rises while it is yet night
and ^(T)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 ^(U)dresses herself^[e] 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 ^(V)opens her hand to ^(W)the poor
and reaches out her hands to ^(X)the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in ^(Y)scarlet.^[f]
22She makes ^(Z)bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is ^(AA)fine linen and ^(AB)purple.
²³Her husband is known in ^(AC)the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴She makes ^(AD)linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
^25(AE)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 ^(AF)women have done ^(AG)excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
^30(AH)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.

31The words of king Lemuel, 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.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel, 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.

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 out 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 honour 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.

³⁰Favour 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.