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14 House and wealth are inherited from parents,
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(A)

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

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22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
    and obtains favor from the Lord.(A)

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22 He who finds a wife finds what is good(A)
    and receives favor from the Lord.(B)

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Ode to a Woman of Strength

10 A woman of strength who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.(A)
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not harm
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax
    and works with willing hands.(B)
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from far away.
15 She rises while it is still night
    and provides food for her household
    and tasks for her female servants.(C)
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.(D)
21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
    for all her household are clothed in crimson.(E)
22 She makes herself coverings;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the city gates,
    taking his seat among the elders of the land.(F)
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she supplies the merchant with sashes.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.(G)
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.(H)
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.(I)
28 Her 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.”(J)
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.(K)
31 Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the city gates.

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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.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.(H)
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(I) at the city gate.

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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.

22 The good leave an inheritance to their children’s children,
    but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.(A)

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22 A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,
    but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.(A)

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In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.(A)

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in all your ways submit to him,
    and he will make your paths(A) straight.[a](B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths

17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 1.17 Other ancient authorities read variation due to a shadow of turning

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above,(A) coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,(B) who does not change(C) like shifting shadows.

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14 Here I am, ready to come to you this third time, and I will not be a burden because I do not want what is yours but you, for children ought not to save up for their parents but parents for their children.(A)

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14 Now I am ready to visit you for the third time,(A) and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents,(B) but parents for their children.(C)

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28 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and charged him, “You shall not marry one of the Canaanite women.(A) Go at once to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel, your mother’s father, and take as wife from there one of the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.(B) May God Almighty[a] bless you and make you fruitful and numerous, that you may become a company of peoples.(C) May he give to you the blessing of Abraham, to you and to your offspring with you, so that you may take possession of the land where you now live as an alien, land that God gave to Abraham.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 28.3 Traditional rendering of Heb El Shaddai

28 So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed(A) him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman.(B) Go at once to Paddan Aram,[a](C) to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel.(D) Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother.(E) May God Almighty[b](F) bless(G) you and make you fruitful(H) and increase your numbers(I) until you become a community of peoples. May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham,(J) so that you may take possession of the land(K) where you now reside as a foreigner,(L) the land God gave to Abraham.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 28:2 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6 and 7
  2. Genesis 28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai

16 then on the day when he wills his possessions to his sons, he is not permitted to treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to the son of the disliked, who is the firstborn.(A)

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16 when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love.(A)

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23 So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.(A)

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23 So Joshua took the entire land,(A) just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance(B) to Israel according to their tribal divisions.(C) Then the land had rest(D) from war.(E)

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The Lord, the God of heaven, who took me from my father’s house and from the land of my birth and who spoke to me and swore to me, ‘To your offspring I will give this land,’ he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there.(A)

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“The Lord, the God of heaven,(A) who brought me out of my father’s household and my native land(B) and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, ‘To your offspring[a](C) I will give this land’(D)—he will send his angel before you(E) so that you can get a wife for my son from there.

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 24:7 Or seed