Proverbs 31
1 The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.
瑪薩的君王肋慕耳的格言，是他母親教給他的：
2 What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?
我兒! 我的親生兒! 我的長子肋慕耳! 我許願所得的孩子! 我可給你說些什麼﹖
3 Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
你不要將你的精力，為女人而消耗；也不要為君王的宮女，白費你的血氣。
4 Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:
肋慕耳! 清酒不宜於君王，醇酒不宜於公侯，
5 And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.
免得在酒興之餘，輕易將法律忘掉，顛倒窮人的是非。
6 Give strong drink to them that are sad: and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
應將醇酒給與哀慟欲絕的人，應將清酒給與心靈痛楚的人，
7 Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.
好叫他們喝了，完全忘掉自己的貧乏，不再記憶自己的憂苦。
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.
你應為啞吧開口，為被棄的人辯護；
9 Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.
你應開口秉公行審，應為貧苦弱小辯護。
10 Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.
賢淑的婦女，有誰能找到﹖她本身價值，遠勝過珠寶。
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.
她的丈夫對她衷心信賴，一切所需從來不會缺少。
12 She will render him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
她一生歲月，只叫他幸福，不給他煩惱。
13 She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.
她弄來羊毛細麻，愉快地親手勞作。
14 She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.
她宛如一隻商船，由遠處運來食糧。
15 And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.
天還未明，她已起身，為給家人分配食物，給婢女們分派家務。
16 She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
她看中一塊田地，就將它買了來，以雙手所得的收入，栽植了葡萄園。
17 She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.
她以勇力束腰，增強自己臂力。
18 She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.
她發覺自己經營生利，她的燈盞夜間仍不熄滅。
19 She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
她手執紡錘，手指旋轉紗錠。
20 She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.
對貧苦的人，她隨手賙濟；對無靠的人，她伸手扶助。
21 She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.
為自己的家人，她不害怕風雪，因為全家上下，都穿雙料衣裳。
22 She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.
她為自己做了華麗的舖蓋，身穿的是細麻和紫錦的衣裳。
23 Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.
她的丈夫與當地長老同席，在城門口深為眾人所認識。
24 She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.
她紡織紗布予以出售，又製造腰帶賣與商賈。
25 Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.
剛毅和尊嚴是她的服飾，一念及將來便笑容滿面。
26 She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
她一開口即傾吐智慧，舌上常有仁慈的訓誨。
27 She hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.
她不斷督察家務，從不白吃閒飯。
28 Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.
她的子女起來向她祝福，她的丈夫對她讚不絕口：「
29 Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.
賢淑的女子很多，唯有你超群群出眾。」
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
姿色是虛幻，美麗是泡影；敬畏上主的女人，纔堪當受人讚美。
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.
願她享受她雙手操勞的成果! 願她的事業在城門口使她受讚揚!
