Proverbs 31
King James Version
31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31
New King James Version
The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother
31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:
2 What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, (A)son of my vows?
3 (B)Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways (C)to that which destroys kings.
4 (D)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
5 (E)Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all [a]the afflicted.
6 (F)Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
8 (G)Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are [b]appointed to die.
9 Open your mouth, (H)judge righteously,
And (I)plead the cause of the poor and needy.
The Virtuous Wife
10 (J)Who[c] can find a [d]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
15 (K)She also rises while it is yet night,
And (L)provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [e]her profits she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
20 (M)She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 (N)Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:5 Lit. sons of affliction
- Proverbs 31:8 Lit. sons of passing away
- Proverbs 31:10 Vv. 10–31 are an alphabetic acrostic in Hebrew; cf. Ps. 119
- Proverbs 31:10 Lit. a wife of valor, in the sense of all forms of excellence
- Proverbs 31:16 Lit. the fruit of her hands
Proverbs 31
English Standard Version
The Words of King Lemuel
31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son?[a] What are you doing, (A)son of my womb?
What are you doing, (B)son of my vows?
3 Do (C)not give your strength to women,
your ways to those (D)who destroy kings.
4 (E)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings (F)to drink wine,
or for rulers to take (G)strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and (H)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who (I)is perishing,
and wine to (J)those in bitter distress;[b]
7 (K)let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 (L)Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.[c]
9 Open your mouth, (M)judge righteously,
(N)defend the rights of (O)the poor and needy.
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 [d] (P)An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than (Q)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 harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She (R)seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She (S)rises while it is yet night
and (T)provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She (U)dresses herself[e] 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 (V)opens her hand to (W)the poor
and reaches out her hands to (X)the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in (Y)scarlet.[f]
22 She makes (Z)bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is (AA)fine linen and (AB)purple.
23 Her husband is known in (AC)the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (AD)linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 (AE)Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many (AF)women have done (AG)excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 (AH)Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?
- Proverbs 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul
- Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away
- Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
- Proverbs 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins
- Proverbs 31:21 Or in double thickness
Proverbs 31
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
31 The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.
2 What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?
3 Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
4 Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:
5 And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.
6 Give strong drink to them that are sad: and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
7 Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
9 Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
10 Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.
12 She will render him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.
14 She is like the merchant's ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.
15 And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.
16 She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
17 She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.
18 She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.
19 She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
20 She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.
21 She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.
22 She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.
23 Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.
24 She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.
25 Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.
26 She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
27 She hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.
28 Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.
29 Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.
Proverbs 31
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
VIII. Sayings of King Lemuel[a]
Chapter 31
1 The words of Lemuel, king of Massa,[b] the instruction his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son![c]
what are you doing, son of my womb;
what are you doing, son of my vows!
3 Do not give your vigor to women,
or your strength[d] to those who ruin kings.
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel,
not for kings to drink wine;
strong drink is not for princes,
5 Lest in drinking they forget what has been decreed,
and violate the rights of any who are in need.
6 Give strong drink to anyone who is perishing,
and wine to the embittered;
7 When they drink, they will forget their misery,
and think no more of their troubles.
8 Open your mouth in behalf of the mute,
and for the rights of the destitute;
9 Open your mouth, judge justly,
defend the needy and the poor!
IX. Poem on the Woman of Worth[e]
10 Who can find[f] a woman of worth?(A)
Far beyond jewels is her value.
11 Her husband trusts her judgment;
he does not lack income.
12 She brings him profit, not loss,[g]
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks out wool and flax
and weaves with skillful hands.
14 Like a merchant fleet,[h]
she secures her provisions from afar.
15 She rises while it is still night,
and distributes food to her household,
a portion to her maidservants.
16 She picks out a field and acquires it;
from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength;
she exerts her arms with vigor.[i]
18 She enjoys the profit from her dealings;
her lamp is never extinguished at night.[j]
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her fingers ply the spindle.[k]
20 She reaches out her hands to the poor,
and extends her arms to the needy.
21 She is not concerned for her household when it snows—
all her charges are doubly clothed.
22 She makes her own coverlets;
fine linen and purple are her clothing.
23 Her husband is prominent at the city gates
as he sits with the elders of the land.[l]
24 She makes garments and sells them,
and stocks the merchants with belts.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and laughs at the days to come.[m]
26 She opens her mouth in wisdom;
kindly instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over[n] the affairs of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband, too, praises her:
29 “Many are the women of proven worth,
but you have excelled them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting;
the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.[o]
31 Acclaim her for the work of her hands,
and let her deeds praise her at the city gates.
Footnotes
- 31:1–9
Though mothers are sources of wisdom in Proverbs (1:8; 6:20), the mother of Lemuel is special in being queen mother, which was an important position in the palace. Queen mothers played an important role in ancient palace life because of their longevity, knowledge of palace politics, and loyalty to their sons; they were in a good position to offer him sound counsel. The language of the poem contains Aramaisms, a sign of its non-Israelite origin.
The first section, vv. 3–5, warns against abuse of sex and alcohol (wine, strong drink) lest the king forget the poor. The second section, vv. 6–9, urges the use of alcohol (strong drink, wine) so that the downtrodden poor can forget their poverty. The real subject of the poem is justice for the poor.
- 31:1 Massa: see note on 30:1–6.
- 31:2 My son: in the Septuagint, “my son, my firstborn.”
- 31:3 The Hebrew word here translated “strength” normally means “ways,” but the context and a cognate language support “authority” or “strength” here.
- 31:10–31 An acrostic poem of twenty-two lines; each line begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. As with many other acrostic poems in the Bible, the unity of the poem is largely extrinsic, coming not from the narrative logic but from the familiar sequence of letters. The topic is the ideal woman described through her activity as a wife. Some have suggested that the traditional hymn extolling the great deeds of a warrior has been transposed to extol a heroic wife; the focus is on her exploits. She runs a household distinguished by abundant food and clothing for all within, by its trade (import of raw materials and export of finished products), and by the renown of its head, her husband, in the community. At v. 28, the voice is no longer that of the narrator but of her children and husband as they praise her. The purpose of the poem has been interpreted variously: an encomium to offset the sometimes negative portrayal of women in the book, or, more symbolically (and more likely), a portrait of a household ruled by Woman Wisdom and a disciple of Woman Wisdom, i.e., he now has a worthy wife and children, a great household, renown in the community.
- 31:10 Who can find…?: in 20:6 and Eccl 8:1 the question implies that finding such a person is well-nigh impossible.
- 31:12 Profit, not loss: a commercial metaphor.
- 31:14 Like a merchant fleet: she has her eye on the far horizon, like the ship of a merchant ready to bring supplies into her larder. It is the only simile (“like”) in the poem.
- 31:17 The metaphor of clothing oneself is used to show the woman’s readiness. One can gird on weapons of war and might and splendor (Ps 69:7; Is 52:9).
- 31:18 Her lamp is never extinguished at night: indicates abundance of productive work and its accompanying prosperity; cf. 20:20; Jb 18:6.
- 31:19 The wife weaves linen cloth from flax and wool from fleece, which she cultivated according to v. 13. Distaff: staff for holding the flax, tow, or wool, which in spinning was drawn out and twisted into yarn or thread by the spindle or round stick.
- 31:23 The husband is mentioned for the first time since vv. 10–12 but as “her husband.” He will not be mentioned again until v. 28, where he praises her.
- 31:25 Laughs at the days to come: anticipates the future with joy, free of anxiety.
- 31:27 Watches over: Hebrew ṣopiyyâ, perhaps a pun on the Greek sophia (= wisdom). Bread of idleness: she does not eat from the table of others but from her own labors.
- 31:30 The true charm of this woman is her religious spirit, for she fears the Lord; cf. note on 1:7.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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