Proverbs 31:1-31
31 The words of Lemʹu·el* the king, the weighty message+ that his mother gave to him in correction:+
2 What [am I saying], O son of mine,* and what, O son of my belly,+ and what, O son of my vows?+
3 Do not give your vital energy to women,+ nor your ways to [what leads to] wiping out kings.+
4 It is not for kings, O Lemʹu·el, it is not for kings to drink wine or for high officials [to say:] “Where is intoxicating liquor?”+
5 that one may not drink and forget what is decreed and pervert the cause of any of the sons of affliction.+
6 Give intoxicating liquor, YOU people, to the one about to perish+ and wine to those who are bitter of soul.+
7 Let one drink and forget one’s poverty, and let one remember one’s own trouble no more.
8 Open your mouth for the speechless one,+ in the cause of all those passing away.*+
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously and plead the cause of the afflicted one and the poor one.+
א [ʼAʹleph]
10 A capable wife who can find?+ Her value is far more than that of corals.
ב [Behth]
11 In her the heart of her owner* has put trust, and there is no gain lacking.+
ג [Giʹmel]
12 She has rewarded him with good, and not bad, all the days of her life.+
ד [Daʹleth]
13 She has sought wool and linen, and she works at whatever is the delight of her hands.+
ה [Heʼ]
14 She has proved to be like the ships of a merchant.+ From far away she brings in her food.*
ו [Waw]
15 She also gets up while it is still night,+ and gives food* to her household and the prescribed portion to her young women.+
ז [Zaʹyin]
16 She has considered a field and proceeded to obtain it;+ from the fruitage of her hands she has planted a vineyard.+
ח [Chehth]
17 She has girded her hips with strength, and she invigorates her arms.+
ט [Tehth]
18 She has sensed that her trading is good; her lamp does not go out at night.+
י [Yohdh]
19 Her hands she has thrust out to the distaff, and her own hands take hold of the spindle.+
כ [Kaph]
20 Her palm she has stretched out to the afflicted one, and her hands she has thrust out to the poor one.+
ל [Laʹmedh]
21 She does not fear for her household because of the snow, for all her household are clothed with double garments.*+
מ [Mem]
22 Coverlets+ she has made for herself. Her clothing is of linen and wool dyed reddish purple.+
נ [Nun]
23 Her owner+ is someone known in the gates,+ when he sits down with the older men* of the land.
ס [Saʹmekh]
24 She has made even undergarments+ and proceeded to sell [them], and belts she has given to the tradesmen.
ע [ʽAʹyin]
25 Strength and splendor are her clothing,+ and she laughs at a future day.+
פ [Peʼ]
26 Her mouth she has opened in wisdom,+ and the law of loving-kindness* is upon her tongue.+
צ [Tsa·dhehʹ]
27 She is watching over the goings-on of her household, and the bread of laziness* she does not eat.+
ק [Qohph]
28 Her sons have risen up and proceeded to pronounce her happy;+ her owner [rises up], and he praises her.+
ר [Rehsh]
29 There are many daughters+ that have shown capableness, but you—you have ascended above them all.+
ש [Shin]
30 Charm may be false,+ and prettiness may be vain;+ [but] the woman that fears Jehovah is the one that procures praise for herself.+
ת [Taw]
31 GIVE her of the fruitage of her hands,+ and let her works praise her even in the gates.*+
Footnotes
^ Meaning “Belonging to God.”
^ Lit., “all the sons of the passing away.”
^ “Her owner.” Heb., baʽ·lahʹ.
^ Or, “her bread.” Heb., lach·mahʹ (from leʹchem, as in vs 27).
^ Lit., “things carried off.” Heb., teʹreph.
^ “Double garments,” by a slight change in vowel pointing, to agree with LXX; M, “scarlet garments.”
^ Or, “elders.”
^ Or, “loyal love.”
^ “And the bread of laziness.” Heb., weleʹchem ʽats·luthʹ.
^ Some ed. of the Heb. text display the trigrammaton, or three letters, Chehth, Zaʹyin, Qohph (ח ז ק) that stand as King Hezekiah’s signature to the copy-work done by his scribes to signify that the work had been completed.
