Proverbs 31

¹The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, which his mother taught him:

²What, my son? What, son of my womb?

What, son of my vows?

³Give not your strength to women,

your ways to those who destroy kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to desire strong drink;

⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,

and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to him who is perishing,

and wine to those in bitter distress;

⁷let them drink and forget their poverty,

and remember their misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the dumb,

for the rights of all who are left desolate.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,

maintain the rights of the poor and needy.

¹⁰A good wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

¹²She does him good, and not harm,

all the days of her life.

¹³She seeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant,

she brings her food from afar.

¹⁵She rises while it is yet night

and provides food for her household

and tasks for her maidens.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds her loins with strength

and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She opens her hand to the poor,

and reaches out her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in scarlet.

²²She makes herself coverings;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is known in the gates,

when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;

she delivers girdles to the merchant.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the time to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household,

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹“Many women have done excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.