Pro 31 | ESV | STEP | The words of King Lemuel . An oracle that his mother taught him:

‏ Proverbs 31

The Words of King Lemuel

1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2 What are you doing, my son? ^{▼▼Hebrew What, my son?} What are you doing, ^bson of my womb?
What are you doing, ^cson of my vows?
3 Do ^dnot give your strength to women,
your ways to those ^ewho destroy kings.
4 ^fIt is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings ^gto drink wine,
or for rulers to take ^hstrong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and ⁱpervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who ^jis perishing,
and wine to ^kthose in bitter distress; ^{▼▼Hebrew those bitter in soul}
7 ^mlet them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 ⁿOpen your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute. ^{▼▼Hebrew are sons of passing away}
9 Open your mouth, ^pjudge righteously,
^qdefend the rights of ^rthe poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 ^{▼▼Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet} ^tAn excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than ^ujewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She ^vseeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She ^wrises while it is yet night
and ^xprovides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She ^ydresses herself ^{▼▼Hebrew She girds her loins} with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She ^aaopens her hand to ^abthe poor
and reaches out her hands to ^acthe needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in ^adscarlet. ^{▼▼Or in double thickness}
22 She makes ^afbed coverings for herself;
her clothing is ^agfine linen and ^ahpurple.
23 Her husband is known in ^aithe gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes ^ajlinen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 ^akStrength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many ^alwomen have done ^amexcellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 ^anCharm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.