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18 Let your (A)fountain be blessed,
And (B)be glad in the (C)wife of your youth.

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18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and take pleasure in the wife of your youth.(A)

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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 capable wife[a] is her husband’s crown,(A)
but a wife who causes shame
is like rottenness in his bones.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:4 Or A wife of quality, or A wife of good character

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

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22 A man who finds a wife finds a good thing(A)
and obtains favor from the Lord.(B)

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13 A (A)foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the (B)contentions of a wife are a constant dripping.
14 House and wealth are an (C)inheritance from fathers,
But a wife who has insight is from Yahweh.

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13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(A)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(B)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(C)
but a sensible wife is from the Lord.

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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

In Praise of a Capable Wife

10 Who can find a capable wife?[a](A)
She is far more precious than jewels.[b]
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will not lack anything good.
12 She rewards him with good, not evil,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from far away.(B)
15 She rises while it is still night(C)
and provides food for her household
and portions[c] for her female servants.(D)
16 She evaluates a field and buys it;
she plants a vineyard with her earnings.[d](E)
17 She draws on her strength[e]
and reveals that her arms are strong.(F)
18 She sees that her profits are good,
and her lamp never goes out at night.(G)
19 She extends her hands to the spinning staff,
and her hands hold the spindle.(H)
20 Her hands reach[f] out to the poor,
and she extends her hands to the needy.(I)
21 She is not afraid for her household when it snows,
for all in her household are doubly clothed.[g]
22 She makes her own bed coverings;(J)
her clothing is fine linen(K) and purple.(L)
23 Her husband is known at the city gates,
where he sits among the elders of the land.(M)
24 She makes and sells linen garments;
she delivers belts[h] to the merchants.
25 Strength(N) and honor are her clothing,(O)
and she can laugh at the time to come.(P)
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom
and loving instruction[i] is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the activities of her household(Q)
and is never idle.[j]
28 Her sons rise up and call her blessed.
Her husband also praises her:
29 “Many women[k] are capable,
but you surpass them all!”(R)
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,(S)
but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
31 Give her the reward of her labor,[l]
and let her works praise her at the city gates.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Or a wife of quality, or a wife of noble character
  2. Proverbs 31:10 Vv. 10-31 form an acrostic.
  3. Proverbs 31:15 Or tasks
  4. Proverbs 31:16 Or vineyard by her own labors
  5. Proverbs 31:17 Lit She wraps strength around her like a belt
  6. Proverbs 31:20 Lit Her hand reaches
  7. Proverbs 31:21 LXX, Vg; MT reads are dressed in scarlet
  8. Proverbs 31:24 Or sashes
  9. Proverbs 31:26 Or and the teaching of kindness
  10. Proverbs 31:27 Lit and does not eat the bread of idleness
  11. Proverbs 31:29 Lit daughters
  12. Proverbs 31:31 Lit the fruit of her hands