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22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
    is a beautiful woman without good sense.

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

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A good wife is the crown of her husband,
    but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.(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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14 The wise woman[a] builds her house,
    but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.

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Footnotes

  1. 14.1 Heb Wisdom of women

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

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

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13 A stupid child is ruin to a father,
    and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.(A)
14 House and wealth are inherited from parents,
    but a prudent wife is 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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It is better to live in a corner of the housetop
    than in a house shared with a contentious wife.(A)

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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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19 It is better to live in a desert land
    than with a contentious and fretful wife.

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

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Footnotes

  1. 27.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain

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

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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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