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15 Drink waters out of your own cistern,
    and running waters out of your own well.
16 Should your fountains be dispersed abroad,
    streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be only your own,
    and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
    and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
19 Let her be as the loving deer and pleasant doe;
    let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
    and always be enraptured with her love.

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15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern,
And running waters out of thine own well.
16 [a]Should thy springs be dispersed abroad,
And streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for thyself alone,
And not for strangers with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed;
And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.
19 As a loving hind and a pleasant doe,
Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times;
And [b]be thou ravished always with her love.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:16 Or, Let
  2. Proverbs 5:19 Hebrew go astray.

16 A gracious woman retains honor,
    but ruthless men retain riches.

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16 A gracious woman obtaineth honor;
And violent men obtain riches.

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22 As a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout,
    so is a fair woman who is without discretion.

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22 As a ring of gold in a swine’s snout,
So is a fair woman that [a]is without discretion.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:22 Hebrew turneth aside from.

A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband,
    but she who brings shame is as rottenness in his bones.

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A worthy woman is the crown of her husband;
But she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

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14 Every wise woman builds her house,
    but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.

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14 Every wise woman buildeth her house;
But [a]the foolish plucketh it down with her own hands.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:1 Hebrew folly.

22 Whoever finds a wife finds a good thing,
    and obtains favor of the Lord.

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22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing,
And obtaineth favor of Jehovah.

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It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop
    than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

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It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
Than with a contentious woman in [a]a wide house.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:9 Or, a house in common. Hebrew a house of society.

19 It is better to dwell in the wilderness
    than with a contentious and angry woman.

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19 It is better to dwell in a desert land,
Than with [a]a contentious and fretful woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:19 Or, a contentious woman and vexation

24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop
    than with a brawling woman in a wide house.

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24 It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop,
Than with a contentious woman in a wide house.

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15 A continual dripping on a very rainy day
    and a contentious woman are alike;
16 whoever restrains her restrains the wind,
    and grasps oil in his right hand.

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15 A continual dropping in a very rainy day
And a contentious woman are alike:
16 He that would [a]restrain her [b]restraineth the wind;
And [c]his right hand encountereth oil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew hide.
  2. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew hideth.
  3. Proverbs 27:16 Or, the oil of his right hand betrayeth itself

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
    indeed, four which I do not know:
19 the way of an eagle in the air,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
    and the way of a man with a maid.

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18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yea, four which I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the air;
The way of a serpent upon a rock;
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea;
And the way of a man with a maiden.

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Epilogue: The Virtuous Wife

10 Who can find a virtuous woman?
    For her worth is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband safely trusts in her,
    so that he will have no lack of gain.
12 She will do him good and not evil
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and works willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    she brings her food from afar.
15 She also rises while it is yet night,
    and gives food to her household,
    and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She clothes herself with strength,
    and strengthens her arms.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is good;
    her candle does not go out by night.
19 She lays her hands to the spindle,
    and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretches out her hand to the poor;
    yes, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes herself coverings of tapestry;
    her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes fine linen and sells it,
    and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing,
    and she will rejoice in time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and in her tongue is the teaching of kindness.
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 daughters have done virtuously,
    but you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    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.

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10 A worthy woman who can find?
For her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her,
And he shall have no lack of [a]gain.
12 She doeth him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool and flax,
And worketh [b]willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant-ships;
She bringeth her bread from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night,
And giveth food to her household,
And their [c]task to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it;
With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength,
And maketh strong her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable;
Her lamp goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the distaff,
And her [d]hands hold the spindle.
20 She stretcheth out her [e]hand to the poor;
Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh for herself [f]carpets of tapestry;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh linen garments and selleth them,
And delivereth girdles unto the [g]merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing;
And she laugheth at the time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom;
And the [h]law of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household,
And eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying:
29 Many daughters have done worthily,
But thou excellest them all.
30 Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall 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 31:11 Hebrew spoil.
  2. Proverbs 31:13 Or, at the business of
  3. Proverbs 31:15 Or, portion
  4. Proverbs 31:19 Hebrew palms.
  5. Proverbs 31:20 Hebrew palm.
  6. Proverbs 31:22 Or, cushio
  7. Proverbs 31:24 Hebrew Canaanite.
  8. Proverbs 31:26 Or, teaching