Proverbs 5:15-19
New Living Translation
15 Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.[a]
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone?[b]
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.
Proverbs 5:15-19
New American Standard Bible
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
And [a]fresh water from your own well.
16 Should your (A)springs overflow into the street,
Streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be yours alone,
And not for strangers with you.
18 Let your (B)fountain be blessed,
And (C)rejoice in the (D)wife of your youth.
19 Like a loving (E)doe and a graceful mountain goat,
Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
Be [b]exhilarated always with her love.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:15 Lit flowing
- Proverbs 5:19 Lit intoxicated
Proverbs 11:16
New Living Translation
16 A gracious woman gains respect,
but ruthless men gain only wealth.
Proverbs 11:16
New American Standard Bible
16 A (A)gracious woman attains honor,
And ruthless men attain riches.
Proverbs 11:22
New Living Translation
22 A beautiful woman who lacks discretion
is like a gold ring in a pig’s snout.
Proverbs 11:22
New American Standard Bible
22 As a (A)ring of gold in a pig’s snout
So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
Proverbs 12:4
New Living Translation
4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband,
but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.
Proverbs 12:4
New American Standard Bible
4 An [a](A)excellent wife is the crown of her husband,
But she who shames him is like (B)rottenness in his bones.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:4 Or virtuous
Proverbs 14:1
New Living Translation
14 A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 14:1
New American Standard Bible
Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked
14 The (A)wise woman builds her house,
But the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
Proverbs 18:22
New Living Translation
22 The man who finds a wife finds a treasure,
and he receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 21:9
New Living Translation
9 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
Proverbs 21:9
New American Standard Bible
9 It is better to live on a corner of a roof
Than [a]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:9 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association
Proverbs 21:19
New Living Translation
19 It’s better to live alone in the desert
than with a quarrelsome, complaining wife.
Proverbs 21:19
New American Standard Bible
19 (A)It is better to live in a desert land
Than with a contentious and irritating woman.
Proverbs 25:24
New Living Translation
24 It’s better to live alone in the corner of an attic
than with a quarrelsome wife in a lovely home.
Proverbs 25:24
New American Standard Bible
24 It is (A)better to live on a corner of the roof,
Than [a]in a house shared with a contentious woman.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 25:24 Lit with a woman of contentions and a house of association
Proverbs 27:15-16
New Living Translation
15 A quarrelsome wife is as annoying
as constant dripping on a rainy day.
16 Stopping her complaints is like trying to stop the wind
or trying to hold something with greased hands.
Proverbs 27:15-16
New American Standard Bible
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit hide(s)
- Proverbs 27:16 Lit encounters
Proverbs 30:18-19
New Living Translation
18 There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.
Proverbs 30:18-19
New American Standard Bible
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Four which I do not understand:
19 The way of the (A)eagle in the sky,
The way of a snake on a rock,
The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a [a]virgin.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:19 Lit young unmarried woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
New Living Translation
A Wife of Noble Character
10 [a]Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm[b] clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Proverbs 31:10-31
New American Standard Bible
Description of a Worthy Woman
10 An (A)excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far (B)above jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
13 She looks for wool and linen,
And works with her [a]hands [b]in delight.
14 She is like (C)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
15 And she (D)rises while it is still night
And (E)gives food to her household,
And [c]portions to her attendants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
From [d]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She (F)surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.
18 She senses that her profit is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the [e]distaff,
And her [f]hands grasp the spindle.
20 She [g](G)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are (H)clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes (I)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is (J)fine linen and (K)purple.
23 Her husband is known (L)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (M)linen garments and sells them,
And [h]supplies belts to the [i]tradesmen.
25 Strength and (N)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the [j]future.
26 She (O)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the [k]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the (P)bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
29 “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who [l](Q)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the [m]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 31:13 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:13 Or willingly
- Proverbs 31:15 Or prescribed tasks
- Proverbs 31:16 Lit the fruit of her palms
- Proverbs 31:19 I.e., the staff that holds the textile fibers for spinning
- Proverbs 31:19 Lit palms
- Proverbs 31:20 Lit spreads out her palm
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit gives
- Proverbs 31:24 Lit Canaanite
- Proverbs 31:25 Lit latter days
- Proverbs 31:26 Or law
- Proverbs 31:30 Or reveres
- Proverbs 31:31 Lit fruit
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
