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15 Drink water from your own cistern
And [a]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (A)springs be dispersed abroad,
Streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for you alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (B)fountain be blessed,
And (C)be glad in the (D)wife of your youth.
19 As a loving (E)hind and a graceful doe,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [b]intoxicated always with her love.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
  2. Proverbs 5:19 Or exhilarated

15 Drink water from your own cistern
    and flowing waters from inside your own well.
16 Shall your springs be scattered outward?
    In the streets, shall there be streams of water?
17 May they be yours alone,
    and not for strangers who are with you.
18 May your fountain be blessed,
    and rejoice in the wife[a] of your youth.
19 She is a deer of love and a doe of grace;
    may her breasts satisfy you always;[b]
    by her love may you be intoxicated continually.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:18 Or “woman”
  2. Proverbs 5:19 Literally “at all time”

16 A (A)gracious woman holds fast to glory,
But ruthless men hold fast to riches.

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16 A woman of grace receives honor,
    but the ruthless gets wealth.

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22 As a (A)ring of gold in a swine’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who turns away from [a]discretion.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:22 Lit taste

22 A ring of gold in the snout of a pig
    is a woman who is beautiful but without discretion.

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[a]An (A)excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who causes shame is like (B)rottenness in his bones.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:4 Or A virtuous

A woman of strength[a] is the crown of her master,[b]
    but like rot in his bones is she who brings shame.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:4 Or “honor”
  2. Proverbs 12:4 Or “lord, owner”

14 The [a](A)wise woman builds her house,
But the woman of folly tears it down with her own hands.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:1 Lit wise women

14 The wisest of women[a] builds her house,
    but the foolish tears it down with her hands.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:1 Literally “wise ones of women”

22 He who finds a (A)wife finds a good thing
And (B)obtains favor from Yahweh.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:22 Or “woman”

It is better to live in a corner of a roof
Than [a]in a house shared with a contentious woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:9 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association

Better to dwell on the corner of a roof
    than to share a house with a woman[a] of contention.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:9 Or “wife”

19 (A)It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and vexing woman.

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19 Better to live in a land of wilderness
    than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.

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24 It is (A)better to live in a corner of the roof
Than [a]in a house shared with a contentious woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:24 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association

24 Better to live upon the corner of a roof
    than with a woman[a] of contention and in a shared house.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:24 Or “wife”

15 A (A)constant dripping on a day of steady rain
And a contentious woman are alike;
16 He who would [a]restrain her [b]restrains the wind,
And [c]grasps oil with his right hand.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
  2. Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
  3. Proverbs 27:16 Lit encounters

15 Dripping constantly on a day of heavy rain
    and a woman[a] of contention are alike.
16 In restraining her, he restrains wind,[b]
    and his right hand will grasp oil[c].

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:15 Or “wife”
  2. Proverbs 27:16 Or “breath, or “spirit”
  3. Proverbs 27:16 Or “fat”

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19 The way of an (A)eagle in the sky,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the heart of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.

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18 Three of these are too wonderful for me,
    and four, I do not understand them:
19 the way of the eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
    the way of a ship in the heart of the sea,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.

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A Woman Who Fears Yahweh

Aleph

10 [a]An (A)excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far (B)above pearls.

Beth

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.

Gimel

12 She deals bountifully with him for good and not evil
All the days of her life.

Daleth

13 She searches for wool and flax
And works with her [b]hands [c]in delight.

He

14 She is like (C)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.

Vav

15 And she (D)rises while it is still night,
And (E)gives [d]food to her household
And a [e]portion to her young women.

Zayin

16 She makes plans for a field and buys it;
From the fruit of her [f]hands she plants a vineyard.

Heth

17 She (F)girds [g]herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

Teth

18 She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.

Yodh

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her [h]hands hold fast the spindle.

Kaph

20 She [i](G)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

Lamedh

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are (H)clothed with scarlet.

Mem

22 She makes (I)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is (J)fine linen and (K)purple.

Nun

23 Her husband is known (L)in the gates,
When he sits with the elders of the land.

Samekh

24 She makes (M)linen garments and sells them,
And gives belts to the [j]tradesmen.

Ayin

25 Strength and (N)majesty are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [k]future.

Pe

26 She (O)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [l]instruction of lovingkindness is on her tongue.

Tsadhe

27 She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the (P)bread of [m]idleness.

Qoph

28 Her children rise up and bless her;
As for her husband, he also praises her, saying:

Resh

29 “Many daughters have done excellently,
But you have gone above them all.”

Shin

30 [n]Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [o](Q)fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

Tav

31 Give to her from the fruit of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Lit a woman of excellence, a woman of strength
  2. Proverbs 31:13 Lit palms
  3. Proverbs 31:13 Or willingly
  4. Proverbs 31:15 Lit prey
  5. Proverbs 31:15 Or prescribed task
  6. Proverbs 31:16 Lit palms
  7. Proverbs 31:17 Lit her loins
  8. Proverbs 31:19 Lit palms
  9. Proverbs 31:20 Lit spreads out her palm
  10. Proverbs 31:24 Lit Canaanite
  11. Proverbs 31:25 Lit latter days
  12. Proverbs 31:26 Or law
  13. Proverbs 31:27 Lit being a sluggard
  14. Proverbs 31:30 Lit Gracefulness
  15. Proverbs 31:30 Or reverences

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.

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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”