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15 Drink water out of your own cistern,
    running water out of your own well.
16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
    streams of water in the public squares?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
    not for strangers with you.
18 Let your spring be blessed.
    Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 A loving doe and a graceful deer—
    let her breasts satisfy you at all times.
    Be captivated always 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 obtains honor,
    but violent men obtain riches.

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

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22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout,
    is a beautiful woman who lacks 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 worthy woman is the crown of her husband,
    but a disgraceful wife 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 one tears it down with her own 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 Yahweh.

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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 the corner of the housetop
    than to share a house with a contentious woman.

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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 a desert land,
    than with a contentious and fretful 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 to share a house with a contentious woman.

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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 dropping on a rainy day
    and a contentious wife are alike:
16 restraining her is like restraining the wind,
    or like grasping 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 amazing for me,
    four which I don’t understand:
19     The way of an eagle in the air,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
    the way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
    and the way of a man with a maiden.

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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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10 [a]Who can find a worthy woman?
    For her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her.
    He shall have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and works eagerly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships.
    She brings her bread from afar.
15 She rises also while it is yet night,
    gives food to her household,
    and portions for her servant girls.
16 She considers a field, and buys it.
    With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 She arms her waist with strength,
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her arms to the poor;
    yes, she extends 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 for herself carpets of tapestry.
    Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates,
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing.
    She laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom.
    Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household,
    and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed.
    Her husband also praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
    but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands!
    Let her works praise her in the gates!

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Footnotes

  1. 31:10 Proverbs 31:10-31 form an acrostic, with each verse starting with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet, in order.

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