22 Like (A)a gold ring in a pig's snout
    is a beautiful woman without discretion.

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22 A beautiful woman who rejects good sense
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.(A)

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(A)An excellent wife is (B)the crown of her husband,
    but she who (C)brings shame is like (D)rottenness in his bones.

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A capable wife[a] is her husband’s crown,(A)
but a wife who causes shame
is like rottenness in his bones.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:4 Or A wife of quality, or A wife of good character

14 (A)The wisest of women (B)builds her house,
    but folly with her own hands (C)tears it down.

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14 Every wise woman builds her house,(A)
but a foolish one tears it down with her own hands.(B)

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

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

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13 (A)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and (B)a wife's quarreling is (C)a continual dripping of rain.
14 (D)House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
    but a prudent wife is (E)from the Lord.

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13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(A)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(B)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(C)
but a sensible wife is from the Lord.

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It is (A)better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.

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

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19 It is (A)better to live in a desert land
    than with a quarrelsome and fretful woman.

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19 Better to live in a wilderness
than with a nagging and hot-tempered wife.(A)

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15 (A)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp[a] oil in one's right hand.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with

15 An endless dripping on a rainy day
and a nagging wife are alike.(A)
16 The one who controls her controls the wind
and grasps oil with his right hand.

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The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [a] (A)An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than (B)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 (C)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 (D)rises while it is yet night
    and (E)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 (F)dresses herself[b] 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 (G)opens her hand to (H)the poor
    and reaches out her hands to (I)the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in (J)scarlet.[c]
22 She makes (K)bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is (L)fine linen and (M)purple.
23 Her husband is known in (N)the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (O)linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 (P)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 (Q)women have done (R)excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 (S)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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Proverbs 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins
  3. Proverbs 31:21 Or in double thickness

In Praise of a Capable Wife

10 Who can find a capable wife?[a](A)
She is far more precious than jewels.[b]
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will not lack anything good.
12 She rewards him with good, not evil,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from far away.(B)
15 She rises while it is still night(C)
and provides food for her household
and portions[c] for her female servants.(D)
16 She evaluates a field and buys it;
she plants a vineyard with her earnings.[d](E)
17 She draws on her strength[e]
and reveals that her arms are strong.(F)
18 She sees that her profits are good,
and her lamp never goes out at night.(G)
19 She extends her hands to the spinning staff,
and her hands hold the spindle.(H)
20 Her hands reach[f] out to the poor,
and she extends her hands to the needy.(I)
21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
for all in her household are doubly clothed.[g]
22 She makes her own bed coverings;(J)
her clothing is fine linen(K) and purple.(L)
23 Her husband is known at the city gates,
where he sits among the elders of the land.(M)
24 She makes and sells linen garments;
she delivers belts[h] to the merchants.
25 Strength(N) and honor are her clothing,(O)
and she can laugh at the time to come.(P)
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom
and loving instruction[i] is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household(Q)
and is never idle.[j]
28 Her sons rise up and call her blessed.
Her husband also praises her:
29 “Many women[k] are capable,
but you surpass them all!”(R)
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,(S)
but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
31 Give her the reward of her labor,[l]
and let her works praise her at the city gates.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Or a wife of quality, or a wife of noble character
  2. Proverbs 31:10 Vv. 10-31 form an acrostic.
  3. Proverbs 31:15 Or tasks
  4. Proverbs 31:16 Or vineyard by her own labors
  5. Proverbs 31:17 Lit She wraps strength around her like a belt
  6. Proverbs 31:20 Lit Her hand reaches
  7. Proverbs 31:21 LXX, Vg; MT reads are dressed in scarlet
  8. Proverbs 31:24 Or sashes
  9. Proverbs 31:26 Or and the teaching of kindness
  10. Proverbs 31:27 Lit and does not eat the bread of idleness
  11. Proverbs 31:29 Lit daughters
  12. Proverbs 31:31 Lit the fruit of her hands