By July 10, 2008 Read More →

Proverbs 31

The Hebrew Bible
31The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother admonished him-

2No, my son!

No, O son of my womb!

No, O son of my vows!

3Do not give your strength to women,

Your vigor, to those who destroy kings.

4Wine is not for kings, O Lemuel;

Not for kings to drink,

Nor any strong drink for princes,

5Lest they drink and forget what has been ordained,

And infringe on the rights of the poor.

6Give strong drink to the hapless

And wine to the embittered.

7Let them drink and forget their poverty,

And put their troubles out of mind.

8Speak up for the dumb,

For the rights of all the unfortunate.

9Speak up, judge righteously,

Champion the poor and the needy.

10What a rare find is a capable wife!

Her worth is far beyond that of rubies.

11Her husband puts his confidence in her,

And lacks no good thing.

12She is good to him, never bad,
All the days of her life.

13She looks for wool and flax,

And sets her hand to them with a will.

14She is like a merchant fleet,

Bringing her food from afar.

15She rises while it is still night,

And supplies provisions for her household,

The daily fare of her maids.

16She sets her mind on an estate and acquires it;

She plants a vineyard by her own labors.

17She girds herself with strength,

And performs her tasks with vigor.

18She sees that her business thrives;

Her lamp never goes out at night.

19She sets her hand to the distaff;

Her fingers work the spindle.

20She gives generously to the poor;

Her hands are stretched out to the needy.

21She is not worried for her household because of snow,

For her whole household is dressed in crimson.

22She makes covers for herself;

Her clothing is linen and purple.

23Her husband is prominent in the gates,

As he sits among the elders of the land.

24She makes cloth and sells it,

And offers a girdle to the merchant.

25She is clothed with strength and splendor;

She looks to the future cheerfully.

26Her mouth is full of wisdom,

Her tongue with kindly teaching.

27She oversees the activities of her household

And never eats the bread of idleness.

28Her children declare her happy;

Her husband praises her,

29“Many women have done well,

But you surpass them all.”
`
30Grace is deceptive,

Beauty is illusory;

It is for her fear of the Lord

That a woman is to be praised.

31Extol her for the fruit of her hand,

And let her works praise her in the gates.

Tanakh, The Holy Scriptures, (Philadelphia, Jerusalem- Jewish Publication Society) 1985.

Posted in: Literary Prophecy

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