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(A)Do not give your excellence to women,
Or your ways to that which (B)blots out kings.
It is not for (C)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (D)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,
And (E)pervert the justice of all the [a]afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is (F)perishing,
And wine to those (G)whose soul is bitter.
Let him drink and forget his poverty
And he will not remember his trouble any longer.
(H)Open your mouth for the mute,
For the justice of all those [b]passing away.
Open your mouth, (I)judge righteously,
And render (J)justice to the afflicted and needy.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Lit sons of affliction
  2. Proverbs 31:8 Lit sons of passing away

Do not give your strength to the women,
    and your ways to destroy kings.
It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
    drinking wine is not for the kings,
    nor is strong drink for rulers.
Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
He will drink and forget his poverty,
    and his misery he will not remember any more.
Open your mouth for the mute,
    for the rights[d] of all the needy.[e]
Open your mouth, judge righteousness,
    and defend the poor and needy.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
  3. Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”
  4. Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew “right”
  5. Proverbs 31:8 Literally “the sons of the needy”