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31 [a]The words of king Lemuel; the [b]oracle which his mother taught him.

What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?
Give not thy strength unto women,
Nor thy ways to [c]that which destroyeth kings.
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?
Lest they drink, and forget [e]the law,
And pervert the justice due to [f]any that is afflicted.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine unto the bitter in soul:
Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
Open thy mouth for the dumb,
In the cause of all such as are [g]left desolate.
Open thy mouth, judge righteously,
And minister justice to the poor and needy.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:1 Or, The words of Lemuel king of Massa, which etc. See 30:1 margin.
  2. Proverbs 31:1 Or, burden
  3. Proverbs 31:3 Or, as otherwise read, them that destroy
  4. Proverbs 31:4 Another reading is, to desire strong drink.
  5. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew that which is decreed.
  6. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew all the sons of affliction.
  7. Proverbs 31:8 Or, ready to pass away. Hebrew the sons of passing away.

The Oracle of King Lemuel

31 The words of Lemuel, the king—an oracle
    that his mother taught him:
What, my son? And what, my son in my womb?
    And what, son of my vows?
Do not give your strength to the women,
    and your ways to destroy kings.
It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
    drinking wine is not for the kings,
    nor is strong drink for rulers.
Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
He will drink and forget his poverty,
    and his misery he will not remember any more.
Open your mouth for the mute,
    for the rights[d] of all the needy.[e]
Open your mouth, judge righteousness,
    and defend the poor and needy.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
  3. Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”
  4. Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew “right”
  5. Proverbs 31:8 Literally “the sons of the needy”