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

Read full chapter

22 He who finds a wife[a] finds good,
    and he will obtain favor from Yahweh.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:22 Or “woman”

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

Read full chapter

14 A house and wealth are an inheritance from fathers,
    but from Yahweh comes a woman[a] who is prudent.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:14 Or “wife”

18 (A)Chasten your son while there is hope,
And do not set your heart [a]on his destruction.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:18 Lit. to put him to death; a Jewish tradition on his crying

18 Discipline your child, for there is hope,
    but on his destruction do not set your desire.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:18 Or “soul,” or “inner self”

(A)The righteous man walks in his integrity;
(B)His children are blessed after him.

Read full chapter

He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
    happy are his children who follow him.

Read full chapter

(A)Train up a child in the way he should go,
[a]And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:6 Even

Train the child concerning his way;[a]
    even when he is old, he will not stray from it.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:6 Literally “on the mouth of his way”

15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child;
(A)The rod of correction will drive it far from him.

Read full chapter

15 Folly is bound up in the heart[a] of a boy;[b]
    the rod of discipline will drive it[c] from him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:15 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 22:15 Or “young man,” or “adolescent”
  3. Proverbs 22:15 That is, folly

13 (A)Do not withhold correction from a child,
For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
14 You shall beat him with a rod,
And deliver his soul from [a]hell.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:14 Or Sheol

13 Do not withhold discipline from a child,
    if you will beat him with the rod, he will not die.
14 As for you, with the rod you shall beat him,
    and his life[a] you will save from Sheol.[b]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:14 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
  2. Proverbs 23:14 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld

11 My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
(A)That I may answer him who reproaches me.

Read full chapter

11 Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad,
    and I will answer him who reproaches me with a word.

Read full chapter

Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
But a companion of harlots wastes his wealth.

Read full chapter

A man who loves wisdom will make his parents glad,
    but the friend of prostitutes[a] will squander his wealth.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:3 Or “whores”

15 The rod and rebuke give (A)wisdom,
But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Read full chapter

15 As for a rod and reproof, they[a] will give wisdom,
    but a neglected child is disgraced by his mother.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:15 Hebrew “it”

17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest;
Yes, he will give delight to your soul.

Read full chapter

17 Discipline your children, and they will give you rest,
    and they will give delight to your soul.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:17 Or “life,” or “inner self”

The Virtuous Wife

10 (A)Who[a] can find a [b]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 (B)She also rises while it is yet night,
And (C)provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [c]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 (D)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 (E)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.

Read full chapter

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
  3. Proverbs 31:16 Lit. the fruit of her hands

An Excellent Woman[a]

10 A woman[b] of excellence,[c] who will find?
    For her worth is far more than precious jewels.
11 The heart of her husband[d] trusts in her,
    and gain he will not lack.
12 She does him good, but not harm
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and she works with the diligence of her hands.[e]
14 She is like the ships of a merchant;
    from far off she brings her food;[f]
15 And she arises while it is still night,
    and gives food to her household,
    and tasks to her servant girls.
16 She considers a field and buys it,
    from the fruit of her hand[g] she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds her waist in strength,
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good;
    her lamp does not go out in the night.
19 Her hands she puts onto the distaff,[h]
    and her palms hold a spindle.
20 Her palm she opens to the poor,
    and her hand she reaches out to the needy.
21 She does not fear for her house when it snows,
    for her entire household[i] is clothed in crimson.
22 She makes for herself coverings;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband[j] is known at the gates,
    in his seat among the elders of the land.
24 Linen garments she makes and sells,
    and she supplies sashes for the merchants.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the future.[k]
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and instruction of kindness is upon her tongue.
27 She looks after the ways of her household,
    and the bread of idleness she will not eat.
28 Her children rise and consider her happy,
    her husband[l] also, and he praises her;
29 “Many daughters have done excellence,[m]
    but you surpass[n] all of them.”
30 Charm[o] is deceit and beauty[p] is vain;[q]
    but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.
31 Give to her from the fruit of her hand,
    and may they praise her works in the city gates.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Prov 31:10–31 is an acrostic poem
  2. Proverbs 31:10 Or “wife”
  3. Proverbs 31:10 Or “strength,” or “valor,” or “ability,” or “efficiency”
  4. Proverbs 31:11 Or “lord”
  5. Proverbs 31:13 Literally “her palms”
  6. Proverbs 31:14 Or “bread”
  7. Proverbs 31:16 Literally “her palm”
  8. Proverbs 31:19 A stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound in preparation for spinning
  9. Proverbs 31:21 Literally “all her house, household”
  10. Proverbs 31:23 Or “lord”
  11. Proverbs 31:25 Literally “to the day/time coming after”
  12. Proverbs 31:28 Or “lord”
  13. Proverbs 31:29 Or “strength,” or “valor,” or “ability,” or “efficiency”
  14. Proverbs 31:29 Literally “you ascend over”
  15. Proverbs 31:30 Hebrew “The charm”
  16. Proverbs 31:30 Hebrew “the beauty”
  17. Proverbs 31:30 Or “vapor,” or “emptiness,” or “breath”