A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
Proverbs 31
Proverbs 31 is the thirty-first and final chapter of the book of Proverbs. The 31-verse chapter has two distinct parts: a brief instruction from a queen mother to her son, and a longer acrostic poem describing an excellent wife.
The chapter opens by identifying its source: "The words of King Lemuel: the burden that his mother taught him." Lemuel is not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. His mother's instructions cover three subjects. She warns him against giving his strength to women, against drinking wine or strong drink (which would cloud his judgment and lead him to forget the law), and she urges him to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to defend the rights of the poor and needy.
The rest of the chapter, from verse 10 onward, is the famous poem about a noble or excellent wife. The poem is an acrostic in Hebrew, with each of its 22 verses beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The poem describes a wife of extraordinary capability.
She is worth more than rubies. Her husband trusts her completely. She works willingly with her hands, selecting wool and flax. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. She extends her hand to the poor and reaches out to the needy.
Her household is dressed in scarlet, and she makes coverings for her bed and clothes of fine linen and purple. Her husband is known at the city gates among the elders. She makes garments and sells them and supplies sashes for merchants. She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
The chapter closes with the famous summary: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."
Verse 1. These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:
Verse 2. What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?
Verse 3. Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
Verse 4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
Verse 5. lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.
Verse 6. Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.
Verse 7. Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
Verse 8. Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
Verse 9. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
Verse 10. A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
Verse 11. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.
Verse 12. She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.
Verse 13. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
Verse 14. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
Verse 15. She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.
Verse 16. She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
Verse 17. She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.
Verse 18. She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.
Verse 19. She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
Verse 20. She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Verse 21. When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet.
Verse 22. She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Verse 23. Her husband is known at the city gates, where he sits among the elders of the land.
Verse 24. She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.
Verse 25. Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.
Verse 26. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
Verse 27. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Verse 28. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:
Verse 29. “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”
Verse 30. Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Verse 31. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
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