Proverbs 31:1-20 ▼

1 The words of Lemuel the king—the burden that his mother taught him:

2 What, O my son? And what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

3 Do not give your strength to the women, and your ways to wiping away kings.

4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for rulers strong drink,

5 lest they drink and forget the decree, and pervert the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.

6 Give strong drink to the one perishing, and wine to those bitter of soul.

7 Let him drink and forget his poverty, and not remember his trouble anymore.

8 Open your mouth for a mute one, for the cause of all the sons of destitution.

9 Open your mouth, judge with righteousness, and plead the cause of the poor one and needy one.

10 A wife of worth, who can find her? And far above rubies is her value.

11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he is not lacking in spoil.

12 She has done him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

13 She has sought wool and flax, and she works it with the delight of her palms.

14 She is like the ships of a merchant—from afar she brings in her bread.

15 And she rises and it is still night, and she provides food for her house, even the portion assigned to her maidservants.

16 She considers a field and buys it; from the fruit of her palms she plants a vineyard.

17 She girds her loins with strength and strengthens her arms.

18 She tastes that her profit is good; her lamp is not extinguished in the night.

19 She stretched out her hands to the distaff, and her palms grasp the spindle.

20 Her palm she spreads out to a poor one, and her hands she sends out to a needy one.