Wycliffe WYC
King James Version KJV
1 The words of Lemuel, the king; the vision by which his mother taught him.
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The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2 What, my darling? what, the darling of my womb? what, the darling of my desires? (What, my darling? what is it, the darling of my womb? what is it, the answer to my prayers?)
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What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3 Give thou not thy chattel to women (Give thou not all thy substance to women), and thy riches to do away kings.
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Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 A! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for no private there is, where drunkenness reigneth. (O! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for there is no secret place, where drunkenness can reign.)
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It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest peradventure they drink, and forget dooms, and change the cause of the sons of a poor man. (Lest perhaps they drink, and forget justice, and pervert the cause of the poor.)
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Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give ye cider to them that mourn, and wine to them that be of bitter soul.
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Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Drink they, and forget they their neediness; and think they no more on their sorrow.
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Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for a dumb man, and open thy mouth for the causes of all sons that pass forth. (Speak thou for the dumb, and for the causes of all those who pass forth before thee.)
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Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Deem thou that that is just, and deem thou a needy man and a poor man. (Judge thou with judgement, or with discernment, and give thou justice to the needy and to the poor.)
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Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10 Who shall find a strong woman? the price of her is far, and from the last ends. (Who shall find a woman of virtue? her value is far above anything else.)
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Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her; and he shall not have need to robberies. (Her husband trusteth her in his heart; and he shall have no need for robbery, or for theft.)
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The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She shall yield to him good, and not evil, in all the days of her life.
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She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She sought wool and flax; and wrought by the counsel of her hands. (She sought out wool and flax; and skillfully worked them with her hands.)
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She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is made as the ship of a merchant (She is made like a merchant's ship), that beareth his bread from [a]far.
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She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 And she rose by night, and gave lifelode to her menials, and meats to her handmaidens. (And she arose at night, and gave sustenance to her servants, and food to her servantesses.)
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She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16 She beheld a field, and bought it; of the fruit of her hands she planted a vinery. (She saw a field, and bought it; and from the fruit of her hands, or out of her earnings, she planted a vineyard.)
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She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girded her loins with strength, and made strong her arm.
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She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She tasted, and saw, that her merchandise was good; her lantern shall not be quenched in the night.
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She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She put her hands to the wharve, and her fingers took the spindle.
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She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She opened her hand to the needy man, and stretched forth her hands to a poor man. (She opened her hands to the needy, and stretched forth her hands to the poor.)
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She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She shall not dread for her house of the colds of snow (She shall not have fear for her household concerning the cold and the snow); for all her menials be clothed with double clothes.
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She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She made to her a ray-cloth; bis, either white silk, and purple is the cloth of her. (She made a ray-cloth for herself; bis, or white silk, and purple maketh her cloak.)
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She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is noble in the gates, when he sitteth with the senators of [the] earth. (Her husband is well-regarded at the city gates, when he sitteth with the elders of the land.)
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Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She made linen cloth, and sold it; and gave a girdle to a merchant.
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She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and fairness is the clothing of her; and she shall laugh in the last day. (Strength and beauty be her clothing; and she shall laugh at tomorrow/and she shall laugh on the last day, as she did on this day.)
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Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She opened her mouth to wisdom; and the law of mercy is in her tongue. (She opened her mouth with wisdom; and the law of love, or of kindness, is upon her tongue.)
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She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She beheld the paths of her house; and she ate not bread idly (and she did not eat the bread of idleness).
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She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her sons rose up, and preached her most blessed; her husband rose (up), and praised her.
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Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29 Many daughters gathered riches; thou passedest all. (Many women have gathered in riches; but thou hast surpassed them all.)
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Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30 Fairness is deceivable grace, and vain; that woman, that dreadeth the Lord, [she] shall be praised. (Beauty is deceptive, and will not last; but that woman, who feareth the Lord/who revereth the Lord, yea, she shall be praised.)
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Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands; and her works praise her in the gates. (Give ye her credit for the fruit of her hands, or for all that she hath done; and may her works bring her praise at the city gates.)
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Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.
The King James Version is in the public domain.