Proverbs 31:1-9
American Standard Version
31 [a]The words of king Lemuel; the [b]oracle which his mother taught him.
2 What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?
3 Give not thy strength unto women,
Nor thy ways to [c]that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
Nor for princes [d]to say, Where is strong drink?
5 Lest they drink, and forget [e]the law,
And pervert the justice due to [f]any that is afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine unto the bitter in soul:
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 [g]left desolate.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously,
And minister justice to the poor and needy.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:1 Or, The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which etc. See 30:1 margin.
- Proverbs 31:1 Or, burden
- Proverbs 31:3 Or, as otherwise read, them that destroy
- Proverbs 31:4 Another reading is, to desire strong drink.
- Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew that which is decreed.
- Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew all the sons of affliction.
- Proverbs 31:8 Or, ready to pass away. Hebrew the sons of passing away.
Proverbs 31:1-9
Lexham English Bible
The Oracle of King Lemuel
31 The words of Lemuel, the king—an oracle
that his mother taught him:
2 What, my son? And what, my son in my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
3 Do not give your strength to the women,
and your ways to destroy kings.
4 It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
drinking wine is not for the kings,
nor is strong drink for rulers.
5 Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
6 Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
7 He will drink and forget his poverty,
and his misery he will not remember any more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights[d] of all the needy.[e]
9 Open your mouth, judge righteousness,
and defend the poor and needy.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
- Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
- Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”
- Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew “right”
- Proverbs 31:8 Literally “the sons of the needy”
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