Proverbs 31:3
New International Version
Do not spend your strength on women, your vigor on those who ruin kings.

New Living Translation
do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

English Standard Version
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.

Berean Standard Bible
Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

King James Bible
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

New King James Version
Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

New American Standard Bible
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.

NASB 1995
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.

NASB 1977
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not give your excellence to women, Or your ways to that which blots out kings.

Amplified Bible
Do not give your [generative] strength to women [neither foreign wives in marriages of alliances, nor concubines], Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings.

American Standard Version
Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Do not give your strength to women and your ways for the provisions of Kings

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Give not thy wealth to women, nor thy mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel.

Contemporary English Version
Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.

English Revised Version
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't give your strength to women or your power to those who ruin kings.

Good News Translation
Don't spend all your energy on sex and all your money on women; they have destroyed kings.

International Standard Version
Never devote all your energy to sex, or dedicate your life to destroying kings.

JPS Tanakh 1917
Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

Literal Standard Version
Do not give your strength to women, | And your ways to wiping away of kings.

Majority Standard Bible
Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

New American Bible
Do not give your vigor to women, or your strength to those who ruin kings.

NET Bible
Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which ruins kings.

New Revised Standard Version
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.

New Heart English Bible
Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

Webster's Bible Translation
Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

World English Bible
Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

Young's Literal Translation
Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Words of King Lemuel
2What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows? 3Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings. 4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 17:17
He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

1 Kings 11:1
King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh--women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women.

Nehemiah 13:26
Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel--yet foreign women drew him into sin.

Proverbs 5:9
lest you concede your vigor to others, and your years to one who is cruel;


Treasury of Scripture

Give not your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

strength

Proverbs 5:9-11
Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: …

Proverbs 7:26,27
For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her…

Hosea 4:11
Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

to that

Deuteronomy 17:17
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Nehemiah 13:26
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

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Destroy Destroyeth Destroys Destruction Kings Ruin Spend Strength Vigor Ways Wiping Women
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Destroy Destroyeth Destroys Destruction Kings Ruin Spend Strength Vigor Ways Wiping Women
Proverbs 31
1. Lemuel's lesson of chastity and temperance
6. The afflicted are to be comforted and defended
10. The praise and properties of a good wife














(3) Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.--A slight change in the punctuation will give a better sense, "to those that destroy kings," i.e., women. Give not thy life to dissipation at their bidding. (Comp. Proverbs 6:24, sqq.; 1Kings 11:1).

Verse 3. - Exhortation to chastity. Give not thy strength unto women (comp. Proverbs 5:9). Chayil is "vigour," the bodily powers, which are sapped and enervated by sensuality. The Septuagint has σὸν πλοῦτον; the Vulgate, substantiam tuam; but the prayerful, anxious mother would consider rather her son's personal well being than his worldly circumstances, which, indeed, an Eastern monarch's licentiousness would not necessarily impair. Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings; or, with a slight alteration in the punctuation (and an improved parallelism), to them that destroy kings; "expugnatricibus regum," as Schultens terms them. Women are meant; and the prince is enjoined not to surrender his life, conduct, and actions to the influence of women, who, both by the dissipation and sensuality which they occasion, and the quarrels which they provoke, and the evil counsels which they give, often ruin kings and states (see the injunction, Deuteronomy 17:11). The Vulgate rendering, ad delendos reges, looks as if the warning was against making wars of conquest against neighbouring kings; but this is not a satisfactory parallel to the former clause. Septuagint, "Give not thy wealth unto women, nor thy mind, nor thy life unto remorse (ὑστεροβολίαν). Do all things with counsel; drink wine with counsel." This seems to belong to the next verse.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Do not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's 408: Not

spend
תִּתֵּ֣ן (tit·tên)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

your strength
חֵילֶ֑ךָ (ḥê·le·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2428: A force, an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength

on women
לַנָּשִׁ֣ים (lan·nā·šîm)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

or your vigor
וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ (ū·ḏə·rā·ḵe·ḵā)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - common plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

on those who ruin
לַֽמְח֥וֹת (lam·ḥō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 4229: To stroke, rub, to erase, to smooth, grease, make fat, to touch, reach to

kings.
מְלָכִֽין׃ (mə·lā·ḵîn)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4428: A king


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 31:3 Don't give your strength to women (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 31:2
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