Proverbs 31 (New American Standard)

The Words of Lemuel

1 The words of King Lemuel, the ^aoracle which his mother taught him: 2 What, O my son ? And what, O ¹son of my womb ? And what, O son of my ²vows ? 3 ³Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which ⁴destroys kings. 4 It is not for ⁵kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to ⁶drink wine, Or for rulers to desire strong drink, 5 For they will drink and forget what is decreed, And ⁷pervert the ^brights of all the ^cafflicted. 6 Give strong drink to him who is ⁸perishing, And wine to him ^d9whose life is bitter. 7 Let him drink and forget his poverty And remember his trouble no more. 8 ¹⁰Open your mouth for the mute, For the ^erights of all the ^funfortunate . 9 Open your mouth, ¹¹judge righteously, And ^gdefend the ¹²rights of the afflicted and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

10 An ¹³excellent wife, who can find ? For her worth is far ¹⁴above 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 flax And works with her ^hhands ⁱin delight. 14 She is like ¹⁵merchant ships ; She brings her food from afar. 15 She ¹⁶rises also while it is still night And ¹⁷gives food to her household And ^jportions to her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From ^kher earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She ¹⁸girds ^lherself with strength And makes her arms strong. 18 She senses that her gain is good ; Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her ^mhands grasp the spindle. 20 She ⁿ¹⁹extends 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 ²⁰clothed with scarlet. 22 She makes ²¹coverings for herself; Her clothing is ²²fine linen and ²³purple. 23 Her husband is known ²⁴in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She makes ²⁵linen garments and sells them, And ^osupplies belts to the ^ptradesmen. 25 Strength and ²⁶dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the ^qfuture . 26 She ²⁷opens her mouth in wisdom, And the ^rteaching of kindness is on her tongue. 27 She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the ²⁸bread 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 ^s29fears the LORD, she shall be praised. 31 Give her the ^tproduct of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.