Proverbs 31

NASB

Proverbs 31

The Words of Lemuel

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1} The words of King Lemuel, the ^(a)oracle which his mother taught him:

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What, O my son?
And what, O ^(A)son of my womb?
And what, O son of my ^(B)vows?

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^(C)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which ^(D)destroys kings.

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It is not for ^(E)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to ^(F)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

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For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^(G)pervert the ^(b)rights of all the ^(c)afflicted.

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Give strong drink to him who is ^(H)perishing,
And wine to him ^(d)^(I)whose life is bitter.

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Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.

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^(J)Open your mouth for the mute,
For the ^(e)rights of all the ^(f)unfortunate.

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Open your mouth, ^(K)judge righteously,
And ^(g)defend the ^(L)rights of the afflicted and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

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An ^(M)excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far ^(N)above jewels.

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The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.

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She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

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She looks for wool and flax
And works with her ^(h)hands ⁽ⁱ⁾in delight.

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She is like ^(O)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.

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She ^(P)rises also while it is still night
And ^(Q)gives food to her household
And ^(j)portions to her maidens.

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She considers a field and buys it;
From ^(k)her earnings she plants a vineyard.

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She ^(R)girds ^(l)herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

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She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.

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She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her ^(m)hands grasp the spindle.

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She ⁽ⁿ⁾^(S)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

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She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are ^(T)clothed with scarlet.

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She makes ^(U)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is ^(V)fine linen and ^(W)purple.

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Her husband is known ^(X)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.

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She makes ^(Y)linen garments and sells them,
And ^(o)supplies belts to the ^(p)tradesmen.

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Strength and ^(Z)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ^(q)future.

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She ^(AA)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ^(r)teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

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She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the ^(AB)bread of idleness.

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Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:

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“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”

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Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ^(s)^(AC)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

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Give her the ^(t)product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.

Footnotes:

a. Proverbs 31:1: ['Or ', burden]

b. Proverbs 31:5: ['Lit ', judgment]

c. Proverbs 31:5: ['Lit ', sons of affliction]

d. Proverbs 31:6: ['Lit ', bitter of soul]

e. Proverbs 31:8: ['Lit ', judgment]

f. Proverbs 31:8: ['Lit ', sons of passing away]

g. Proverbs 31:9: ['Lit ', judge the afflicted]

h. Proverbs 31:13: ['Lit ', palms]

i. Proverbs 31:13: ['Or ', willingly]

j. Proverbs 31:15: ['Or ', prescribed tasks]

k. Proverbs 31:16: ['Lit ', the fruit of her palms]

l. Proverbs 31:17: ['Lit ', her loins]

m. Proverbs 31:19: ['Lit ', palms]

n. Proverbs 31:20: ['Lit ', spreads out her palm]

o. Proverbs 31:24: ['Lit ', gives]

p. Proverbs 31:24: ['Lit ', Canaanite]

q. Proverbs 31:25: ['Lit ', latter days]

r. Proverbs 31:26: ['Or ', law]

s. Proverbs 31:30: ['Or ', reverences]

t. Proverbs 31:31: ['Lit ', fruit]

Cross references:

A. Proverbs 31:2: Isaiah 49:15

B. Proverbs 31:2: 1 Samuel 1:11

C. Proverbs 31:3: Proverbs 5:9

D. Proverbs 31:3: Deuteronomy 17:17; Nehemiah 13:26

F. Proverbs 31:4: Proverbs 20:1; Isaiah 5:22; Hosea 4:11

G. Proverbs 31:5: Exodus 23:6; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 17:15

H. Proverbs 31:6: Job 29:13

I. Proverbs 31:6: Job 3:20; Isaiah 38:15

J. Proverbs 31:8: Job 29:12-17

K. Proverbs 31:9: Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:16

L. Proverbs 31:9: Isaiah 1:17; Jeremiah 22:16

M. Proverbs 31:10: Ruth 3:11; Proverbs 12:4; Proverbs 19:14

N. Proverbs 31:10: Job 28:18; Proverbs 8:11

O. Proverbs 31:14: Ezekiel 27:25

P. Proverbs 31:15: Proverbs 20:13; Romans 12:11

Q. Proverbs 31:15: Luke 12:42

R. Proverbs 31:17: Job 38:3

S. Proverbs 31:20: Deuteronomy 15:11; Job 31:16-20; Proverbs 22:9; Romans 12:13; Ephesians 4:28

T. Proverbs 31:21: 2 Samuel 1:24

U. Proverbs 31:22: Proverbs 7:16

V. Proverbs 31:22: Genesis 41:42; Revelation 19:8; Revelation 19:14

W. Proverbs 31:22: Judges 8:26; Luke 16:19

X. Proverbs 31:23: Deuteronomy 16:18; Ruth 4:1; Ruth 4:11

Y. Proverbs 31:24: Judges 14:12

Z. Proverbs 31:25: 1 Timothy 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:10

AA. Proverbs 31:26: Proverbs 10:31

AB. Proverbs 31:27: Proverbs 19:15

AC. Proverbs 31:30: Psalm 112:1; Proverbs 22:4