| Chapter 31 |
1 | Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
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2 | 'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
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3 | Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
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4 | Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
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5 | Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
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6 | Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
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7 | He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
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8 | Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
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9 | Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
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10 | A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
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11 | The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
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12 | She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
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13 | She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
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14 | She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
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15 | Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
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16 | She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
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17 | She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
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18 | She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
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19 | Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
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20 | Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
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21 | She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
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22 | Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
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23 | Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
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24 | Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
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25 | Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
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26 | Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
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27 | She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
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28 | Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
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29 | 'Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'
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30 | The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
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31 | Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!
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