Proverbs Chapter 31

³ don’t waste your strength

      on the kind of women that destroy kings.

⁴ Lemuel, it’s not for kings to guzzle wine

            or for rulers to get addicted to alcohol;

         ⁵the fear is that they’ll forget the Law

            and not give justice to the oppressed.

⁶ Give alcohol to the dying

            and wine to those in pain;

         ⁷let them drink and forget their condition,

            and not remember their suffering anymore.

⁸ Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves;

         ⁹judge justly and defend the poor and needy.                 

Prov 31:1-9

Tribute to a Worthy Woman

¹⁰ Who can find a capable wife of noble character?

      She’s worth more than jewels.

¹¹ Her husband can rely on her,

      and he’ll not lack anything of value. 

¹² She’ll do him good her whole life.

¹³ She looks for wool and linen,

      and enjoys working with her hands.

¹⁴ Like a merchant ship,

      she brings her food from a distance.

¹⁵ She gets up before daylight to feed her family

      and assign the day’s jobs to her maids.

¹⁶ She inspects a field and buys it,

      and plants a vineyard from her earnings.                        

Prov 31:10-16

¹⁷ She wraps her waist with strength

      and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸ She makes sure her efforts are profitable,

      and her lamp doesn’t go out at night.

¹⁹ She reaches for the distaff,

      and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰ She reaches out to the poor and needy.

²¹ She’s not worried when it snows

      because she has dressed her family in scarlet.

²² She wears purple and fine linen

      and makes her own bedclothes.                                       

Prov 31:17-22

²³ The community knows her husband in the city gates,

      where he sits among the leaders of the land.

²⁴ She makes sashes and linen garments

      to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She dresses in strength and dignity

      and smiles at the future.

²⁶ She speaks wisely and teaches kindly.

²⁷ She takes care of her household

      and doesn’t idle away her time.

²⁸ Her children grow up and bless her;

      her husband, too, and praises her:

                  ²⁹“Lots of women do nobly,

            but you excel them all.”

³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

      but praise a woman that respects Yahveh.

³¹ Reward her for what she does,

      and let her work speak for her in the community.           

Prov 31:23-31

Version by Virgil Warren: christir.org