Proverbs 31
1 THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL: The prophecie which his mother taught him.
These are sayings/messages that [God gave to] King Lemuel’s mother, and which his mother taught him:
2 What my sonne! and what ye sonne of my wombe! and what, O sonne of my desires!
You are my son; I gave birth to you [RHQ]; you are the son that [God gave me] in answer to my prayers.
3 Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
Do not exhaust your energy [having sex] [EUP] with women [to whom you are not married], with women who ruin kings [by having sex with them].
4 It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strog drinke,
Lemuel, kings should not be [constantly] drinking wine or [greatly] desire [to drink other] strong/alcoholic drinks.
5 Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction.
If they do that, they forget the laws [that they have made], and they do not do what is right for poor/afflicted [people].
6 Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart.
Give strong/alcoholic drinks to those who are dying and to those who are (greatly distressed/suffering very much).
7 Let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more.
If they drink, they will forget that they are poor, and they will not think about their distress/troubles any more.
8 Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction.
Speak [MTY] to defend people who are unable to defend themselves; speak to encourage others to do what is right for those who are helpless.
9 Open thy mouth: iudge righteously, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore.
Speak [MTY] (on their behalf/to help them) and try to cause judges to decide matters fairly/justly; try to cause others to do for poor and needy [people] what should be done for them.
10 Who shall finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue the pearles.
It is very difficult [for a man] to [RHQ] find a wife who is good and who is capable [of doing many things]. [Any woman who is like that] is worth more than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall haue no neede of spoyle.
Her husband completely trusts her, and [because of her], he has everything that he needs [LIT].
12 She will doe him good, and not euill all the dayes of her life.
She never does anything that would harm him; she does good things for him all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefully with her handes.
She finds wool and flax [in the market], and she enjoys spinning it [to make yarn].
14 She is like the shippes of marchants: shee bringeth her foode from afarre.
She is like [SIM] a ship that brings from far away goods/merchandise to sell, [because] she buys food that comes from far away.
15 And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides.
She gets up before dawn to prepare food for her family. [Then] she plans the work that her servant girls will do on that day.
16 She considereth a field, and getteth it: and with the fruite of her handes she planteth a vineyarde.
She [goes out and] looks at a field [that someone wants to sell]; and [if it is a good field], she buys it. She [buys] grapevines [MTY] with the money that she has earned, [and then] she plants them.
17 She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
She works very hard [IDM]; she makes her arms strong [by the work she does].
18 She feeleth that her marchandise is good: her candle is not put out by night.
She knows when she is getting a good profit from her business. [When it is necessary], she works [MTY] until it is late at night.
19 She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle.
She holds the (spindle/rod which twists the thread that she is making), and [then] she spins the thread [MTY] [that she will use].
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and putteth foorth her hands to the needie.
She generously helps [MTY] those who are poor and needy [DOU].
21 She feareth not the snowe for her familie: for all her familie is clothed with skarlet.
She is not worried that [the people in her house will be cold in] the winter, because [she has made] warm clothes for all of them.
22 She maketh her selfe carpets: fine linen and purple is her garment.
She makes bedspreads/quilts for the beds. She wears fine linen clothes that are dyed purple, [like queens wear].
23 Her husband is knowen in the gates, when he sitteth with the Elders of the land.
Her husband is [well] known by the important people of the town; he sits with the [other] town leaders in the meetings of the town council.
24 She maketh sheetes, and selleth them, and giueth girdels vnto the marchant.
She makes clothes from linen cloth and sells them. She sells sashes to shop owners.
25 Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall reioyce.
She is strong in her character and respected/dignified, and she (laughs at/is not afraid of) [what will happen in] the future.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdome, and the lawe of grace is in her tongue.
When she speaks, she says what is wise. When she gives instructions, she speaks [MTY] kindly (OR, faithfully).
27 She ouerseeth the wayes of her housholde, and eateth not the bread of ydlenes.
She watches over everything that is done in her household, and she [IDM] is never lazy.
28 Her children rise vp, and call her blessed: her husband also shall prayse her, saying,
Her children all together speak highly of her, and her husband also praises her.
29 Many daughters haue done vertuously: but thou surmountest them all.
[He says to her], “There are many women who do admirable things, but you surpass them all!”
30 Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed.
Some women who are attractive [are not really good women], [but] they can deceive us [regarding what they are really like]. Furthermore, women’s beauty does not last; but women who revere Yahweh should be honored.
31 Giue her of the fruite of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.
Reward women who are like that, and praise them in public [MTY] for what they have done.
