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Proverbes 31
Louis Segond
Proverbes 31
Louis Segond
31 Paroles du roi Lemuel. Sentences par lesquelles sa mère l'instruisit.
2 Que te dirai-je, mon fils? que te dirai-je, fils de mes entrailles? Que te dirai-je, mon fils, objet de mes voeux?
3 Ne livre pas ta vigueur aux femmes, Et tes voies à celles qui perdent les rois.
4 Ce n'est point aux rois, Lemuel, Ce n'est point aux rois de boire du vin, Ni aux princes de rechercher des liqueurs fortes,
5 De peur qu'en buvant ils n'oublient la loi, Et ne méconnaissent les droits de tous les malheureux.
6 Donnez des liqueurs fortes à celui qui périt, Et du vin à celui qui a l'amertume dans l'âme;
7 Qu'il boive et oublie sa pauvreté, Et qu'il ne se souvienne plus de ses peines.
8 Ouvre ta bouche pour le muet, Pour la cause de tous les délaissés.
9 Ouvre ta bouche, juge avec justice, Et défends le malheureux et l'indigent.
10 Qui peut trouver une femme vertueuse? Elle a bien plus de valeur que les perles.
11 Le coeur de son mari a confiance en elle, Et les produits ne lui feront pas défaut.
12 Elle lui fait du bien, et non du mal, Tous les jours de sa vie.
13 Elle se procure de la laine et du lin, Et travaille d'une main joyeuse.
14 Elle est comme un navire marchand, Elle amène son pain de loin.
15 Elle se lève lorsqu'il est encore nuit, Et elle donne la nourriture à sa maison Et la tâche à ses servantes.
16 Elle pense à un champ, et elle l'acquiert; Du fruit de son travail elle plante une vigne.
17 Elle ceint de force ses reins, Et elle affermit ses bras.
18 Elle sent que ce qu'elle gagne est bon; Sa lampe ne s'éteint point pendant la nuit.
19 Elle met la main à la quenouille, Et ses doigts tiennent le fuseau.
20 Elle tend la main au malheureux, Elle tend la main à l'indigent.
21 Elle ne craint pas la neige pour sa maison, Car toute sa maison est vêtue de cramoisi.
22 Elle se fait des couvertures, Elle a des vêtements de fin lin et de pourpre.
23 Son mari est considéré aux portes, Lorsqu'il siège avec les anciens du pays.
24 Elle fait des chemises, et les vend, Et elle livre des ceintures au marchand.
25 Elle est revêtue de force et de gloire, Et elle se rit de l'avenir.
26 Elle ouvre la bouche avec sagesse, Et des instructions aimables sont sur sa langue.
27 Elle veille sur ce qui se passe dans sa maison, Et elle ne mange pas le pain de paresse.
28 Ses fils se lèvent, et la disent heureuse; Son mari se lève, et lui donne des louanges:
29 Plusieurs filles ont une conduite vertueuse; Mais toi, tu les surpasses toutes.
30 La grâce est trompeuse, et la beauté est vaine; La femme qui craint l'Éternel est celle qui sera louée.
31 Récompensez-la du fruit de son travail, Et qu'aux portes ses oeuvres la louent.
Proverbs 31
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 31
New American Standard Bible
The Words of Lemuel
31 The words of King Lemuel, the pronouncement which his mother taught him:
2 What, my son?
And what, (A)son of my womb?
And what, son of my (B)vows?
3 (C)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which (D)destroys kings.
4 It is not for (E)kings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (F)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
5 Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And (G)pervert the [a]rights of all the [b]needy.
6 Give intoxicating drink to one who is (H)perishing,
And wine to one [c](I)whose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
8 (J)Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the [d]rights of all the [e]unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, (K)judge righteously,
And [f]defend the (L)rights of the poor and needy.
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An (M)excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far (N)above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her [g]hands [h]in delight.
14 She is like (O)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she (P)rises while it is still night
And (Q)gives food to her household,
And [i]portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [j]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She (R)surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the [k]distaff,
And her [l]hands grasp the spindle.
20 She [m](S)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are (T)clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes (U)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is (V)fine linen and (W)purple.
23 Her husband is known (X)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (Y)linen garments and sells them,
And [n]supplies belts to the [o]tradesmen.
25 Strength and (Z)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [p]future.
26 She (AA)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [q]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the (AB)bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [r](AC)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [s]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:5 Lit judgment
- Proverbs 31:5 Lit sons of affliction
- Proverbs 31:6 Lit bitter of soul
- Proverbs 31:8 Lit judgment
- Proverbs 31:8 Lit sons of passing away
- Proverbs 31:9 Lit judge the afflicted
- Proverbs 31:13 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:13 Or willingly
- Proverbs 31:15 Or prescribed tasks
- Proverbs 31:16 Lit the fruit of her palms
- Proverbs 31:19 I.e., the staff that holds the textile fibers for spinning
- Proverbs 31:19 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:20 Lit spreads out her palm
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit gives
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit Canaanite
- Proverbs 31:25 Lit latter days
- Proverbs 31:26 Or law
- Proverbs 31:30 Or reveres
- Proverbs 31:31 Lit fruit
Proverbs 31
New International Version
Proverbs 31
New International Version
Sayings of King Lemuel
31 The sayings(A) of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.
2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!(B)
3 Do not spend your strength[a] on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.(C)
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,(D)
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink(E) and forget what has been decreed,(F)
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine(G) for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink(H) and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 Speak(I) up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
9 Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.(J)
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
10 [b]A wife of noble character(K) who can find?(L)
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband(M) has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.(N)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.(O)
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.(P)
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders(Q) of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.(R)
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise(S) at the city gate.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth
- Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Louis Segond (LSG)
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.