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Proverbs 31:3-9
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 31:3-9
New American Standard Bible
3 (A)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which (B)destroys kings.
4 It is not for (C)kings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (D)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
5 Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And (E)pervert the [a]rights of all the [b]needy.
6 Give intoxicating drink to one who is (F)perishing,
And wine to one [c](G)whose life is bitter.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
8 (H)Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the [d]rights of all the [e]unfortunate.
9 Open your mouth, (I)judge righteously,
And [f]defend the (J)rights of the poor and needy.
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 31:3-9
Common English Bible
Proverbs 31:3-9
Common English Bible
3 Don’t give your strength to women,
your ways to those who wipe out kings.
4 It isn’t for kings, Lemuel,
it isn’t for kings to drink wine,
for rulers to crave[a] strong drink.
5 Otherwise, they will drink and forget the law,
and violate the rights of the needy.
6 Give strong drink to those who are perishing
and wine to those whose hearts are bitter.
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty
and no longer remember their toil.
8 Speak out on behalf of the voiceless,
and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.[b]
9 Speak out in order to judge with righteousness
and to defend the needy and the poor.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:4 Or where or or
- Proverbs 31:8 Or all children who are passing away
Proverbs 31:3-9
New International Version
Proverbs 31:3-9
New International Version
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,(B)
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink(C) and forget what has been decreed,(D)
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine(E) for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink(F) and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
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.