to be self-controlled, (A)pure, (B)working at home, kind, and (C)submissive to their own husbands, (D)that the word of God may not be reviled.

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to be self-controlled(A) and pure, to be busy at home,(B) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,(C) so that no one will malign the word of God.(D)

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The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [a] (A)An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than (B)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 harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She (C)seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
15 She (D)rises while it is yet night
    and (E)provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She (F)dresses herself[b] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She (G)opens her hand to (H)the poor
    and reaches out her hands to (I)the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in (J)scarlet.[c]
22 She makes (K)bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is (L)fine linen and (M)purple.
23 Her husband is known in (N)the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes (O)linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 (P)Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
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 (Q)women have done (R)excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 (S)Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to 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 31:10 Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
  2. Proverbs 31:17 Hebrew She girds her loins
  3. Proverbs 31:21 Or in double thickness

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character

10 [a]A wife of noble character(A) who can find?(B)
    She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband(C) has full confidence in her
    and lacks nothing of value.(D)
12 She brings him good, not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
    and works with eager hands.(E)
14 She is like the merchant ships,
    bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
    she provides food for her family
    and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
    her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
    and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
    and extends her hands to the needy.(F)
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
    where he takes his seat among the elders(G) of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
    and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
    she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
    and faithful instruction is on her tongue.(H)
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
    and let her works bring her praise(I) at the city gate.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:10 Verses 10-31 are an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Rules for Christian Households

18 (A)Wives, submit to your husbands, as (B)is fitting in the Lord.

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Instructions for Christian Households(A)

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,(B) as is fitting in the Lord.

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10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has (A)shown hospitality, (B)has washed the feet of the saints, has (C)cared for the afflicted, and has (D)devoted herself to every good work.

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10 and is well known for her good deeds,(A) such as bringing up children, showing hospitality,(B) washing the feet(C) of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble(D) and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

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Wives and Husbands

Likewise, wives, (A)be subject to your own husbands, so that (B)even if some do not obey the word, (C)they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your (D)respectful and pure conduct. (E)Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be (F)the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands,

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Wives, in the same way submit yourselves(A) to your own husbands(B) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over(C) without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.(D) Rather, it should be that of your inner self,(E) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.(F) For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God(G) used to adorn themselves.(H) They submitted themselves to their own husbands,

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13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also (A)gossips and (B)busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have (C)younger widows marry, bear children, (D)manage their households, and (E)give the adversary no occasion for slander.

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13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies(A) who talk nonsense,(B) saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry,(C) to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.(D)

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33 However, (A)let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she (B)respects her husband.

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33 However, each one of you also must love his wife(A) as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

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16 To the woman he said,

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
    (A)in pain you shall bring forth children.
(B)Your desire shall be contrary to[a] your husband,
    but he shall (C)rule over you.”

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Footnotes

  1. Genesis 3:16 Or shall be toward (see 4:7)

16 To the woman he said,

“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe;
    with painful labor you will give birth to children.(A)
Your desire will be for your husband,
    and he will rule over you.(B)

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(A)Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants[a] regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, (B)so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 6:1 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect,(A) so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.(B)

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11 Let a woman learn quietly (A)with all submissiveness. 12 (B)I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.

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11 A woman[a] should learn in quietness and full submission.(A) 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man;[b] she must be quiet.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Timothy 2:11 Or wife; also in verse 12
  2. 1 Timothy 2:12 Or over her husband

Wives and Husbands

22 (A)Wives, (B)submit to your own husbands, (C)as to the Lord. 23 For (D)the husband is the head of the wife even as (E)Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is (F)himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit (G)in everything to their husbands.

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22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands(A) as you do to the Lord.(B) 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,(C) his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands(D) in everything.

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But I want you to understand that (A)the head of every man is Christ, (B)the head of a wife[a] is her husband,[b] and (C)the head of Christ is God.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Greek gunē. This term may refer to a woman or a wife, depending on the context
  2. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Greek anēr. This term may refer to a man or a husband, depending on the context

But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ,(A) and the head of the woman is man,[a](B) and the head of Christ is God.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:3 Or of the wife is her husband

Dorcas Restored to Life

36 Now there was in (A)Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas.[a] She was full of (B)good works and acts of charity.

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 9:36 The Aramaic name Tabitha and the Greek name Dorcas both mean gazelle

36 In Joppa(A) there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good(B) and helping the poor.

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