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A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
    but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

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A wife of noble character(A) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.(B)

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30 A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body;
    jealousy is like cancer in the bones.

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30 A heart at peace gives life to the body,
    but envy rots the bones.(A)

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11 But among the Lord’s people, women are not independent of men, and men are not independent of women.

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11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman.

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A Wife of Noble Character

10 [a]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
    She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
    and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.

13 She finds wool and flax
    and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
    and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
    with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
    a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
    her lamp burns late into the night.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
    her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
    and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
    for everyone has warm[b] clothes.

22 She makes her own bedspreads.
    She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
    where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
    and sashes to sell to the merchants.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
    and she laughs without fear of the future.

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Footnotes

  1. 31:10 Verses 10-31 comprise a Hebrew acrostic poem; each verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. 31:21 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads scarlet.

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 [a]A wife of noble character(A) who can find?(B)
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband(C) has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.(D)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.(E)
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.(F)
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(G) 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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

14 A wise woman builds her home,
    but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.

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14 The wise woman builds her house,(A)
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

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A man should not wear anything on his head when worshiping, for man is made in God’s image and reflects God’s glory. And woman reflects man’s glory.

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A man ought not to cover his head,[a] since he is the image(A) and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:7 Or Every man who prays or prophesies with long hair dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with no covering of hair dishonors her head—she is just like one of the “shorn women.” If a woman has no covering, let her be for now with short hair; but since it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair shorn or shaved, she should grow it again. A man ought not to have long hair

15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying
    as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind
    or trying to hold something with greased hands.

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15 A quarrelsome wife is like the dripping(A)
    of a leaky roof in a rainstorm;
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind
    or grasping oil with the hand.

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19 It’s better to live alone in the desert
    than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.

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19 Better to live in a desert
    than with a quarrelsome and nagging wife.(A)

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It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
    than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.

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Better to live on a corner of the roof
    than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.(A)

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13 A foolish child[a] is a calamity to a father;
    a quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping.

14 Fathers can give their sons an inheritance of houses and wealth,
    but only the Lord can give an understanding wife.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:13 Hebrew son; also in 19:27.

13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(A)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(B)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(C)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(D)

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16 I trembled inside when I heard this;
    my lips quivered with fear.
My legs gave way beneath me,[a]
    and I shook in terror.
I will wait quietly for the coming day
    when disaster will strike the people who invade us.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:16 Hebrew Decay entered my bones.

16 I heard and my heart pounded,
    my lips quivered at the sound;
decay crept into my bones,
    and my legs trembled.(A)
Yet I will wait patiently(B) for the day of calamity
    to come on the nation invading us.

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