The Virtuous Wife

10 (A)Who[a] can find a [b]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Vv. 10–31 are an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew; cf. Ps. 119
  2. Proverbs 31:10 Lit. a wife of valor, in the sense of all forms of excellence

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.

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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)Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers,
But (B)a prudent wife is from the Lord.

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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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(A)An[a] excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is (B)like rottenness in his bones.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:4 Lit. A wife of valor

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

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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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25 (A)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and (B)gave Himself for her, 26 that He might [a]sanctify and cleanse her (C)with the washing of water (D)by the word, 27 (E)that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, (F)not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For (G)we are members of His body, [b]of His flesh and of His bones. 31 (H)“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the (I)two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless (J)let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she (K)respects her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 set it apart
  2. Ephesians 5:30 NU omits the rest of v. 30.

25 Husbands, love your wives,(A) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her(B) 26 to make her holy,(C) cleansing[a] her by the washing(D) with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself(E) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.(F) 28 In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives(G) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body.(H) 31 “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”[b](I) 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(J) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 5:26 Or having cleansed
  2. Ephesians 5:31 Gen. 2:24

15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (A)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.

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15 She is more precious than rubies;(A)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.(B)

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11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a (A)virtuous woman.

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11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character.(A)

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15 There is gold and a multitude of rubies,
But (A)the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

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15 Gold there is, and rubies in abundance,
    but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.

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28 Which my soul still seeks but I cannot find:
(A)One man among a thousand I have found,
But a woman among all these I have not found.

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28     while I was still searching
    but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
    but not one upright woman(A) among them all.

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11 (A)For wisdom is better than rubies,
And all the things one may desire cannot be compared with her.

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11 for wisdom is more precious(A) than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with her.(B)

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18 No mention shall be made of [a]coral or quartz,
For the price of wisdom is above (A)rubies.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 28:18 Heb. ramoth

18 Coral(A) and jasper(B) are not worthy of mention;
    the price of wisdom is beyond rubies.(C)

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