Proverbs 31
1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy with which his mother instructed him.
| דִּ֭בְרֵי לְמוּאֵ֣ל מֶ֑לֶךְ מַ֝שָּׂ֗א אֲֽשֶׁר־יִסְּרַ֥תּוּ אִמֹּֽו׃ |
2 What [hast thou done], O my son: and what, O son of my body? and what, O son of my vows?
| מַה־בְּ֭רִי וּמַֽה־בַּר־בִּטְנִ֑י וּ֝מֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃ |
3 Give not unto women thy vigor, nor thy ways to those that ruin kings.
| אַל־תִּתֵּ֣ן לַנָּשִׁ֣ים חֵילֶ֑ךָ וּ֝דְרָכֶ֗יךָ לַֽמְחֹ֥ות מְלָכִֽין׃ |
4 Not for kings, O Lemoel, not for kings [it is fitting] to drink wine, nor for princes, strong drink:
| אַ֤ל לַֽמְלָכִ֨ים ׀ לְֽמֹואֵ֗ל אַ֣ל לַֽמְלָכִ֣ים שְׁתֹו־יָ֑יִן וּ֝לְרֹוזְנִ֗ים אֹו (אֵ֣י) שֵׁכָֽר׃ |
5 Lest either might drink, and forget what is written in the law, and pervert the cause of all the afflicted.
| פֶּן־יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח מְחֻקָּ֑ק וִֽ֝ישַׁנֶּה דִּ֣ין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי׃ |
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those who have an embittered soul.
| תְּנוּ־שֵׁכָ֣ר לְאֹובֵ֑ד וְ֝יַיִן לְמָ֣רֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃ |
7 Let such a one drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his trouble no more.
| יִ֭שְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּ֣ח רִישֹׁ֑ו וַ֝עֲמָלֹ֗ו לֹ֣א יִזְכָּר־עֹֽוד׃ |
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all fatherless children.
| פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֹֽוף׃ |
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and decide the cause of the poor and needy.
| פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ שְׁפָט־צֶ֑דֶק וְ֝דִ֗ין עָנִ֥י וְאֶבְיֹֽון׃ פ |
10 Who can find a virtuous woman: for far above pearls is her value.
| אֵֽשֶׁת־חַ֭יִל מִ֣י יִמְצָ֑א וְרָחֹ֖ק מִפְּנִינִ֣ים מִכְרָֽהּ׃ |
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, and he will not see his gain diminish.
| בָּ֣טַח בָּ֭הּ לֵ֣ב בַּעְלָ֑הּ וְ֝שָׁלָ֗ל לֹ֣א יֶחְסָֽר׃ |
12 She treateth him well and not ill, all the days of her life.
| גְּמָלַ֣תְהוּ טֹ֣וב וְלֹא־רָ֑ע כֹּ֝֗ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּֽיה׃ |
13 She seeketh for wool and flax, and worketh with her willing hands.
| דָּ֭רְשָׁה צֶ֣מֶר וּפִשְׁתִּ֑ים וַ֝תַּ֗עַשׂ בְּחֵ֣פֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃ |
14 She is become like the merchant's ships: from afar doth she bring her food.
| הָ֭יְתָה כָּאֳנִיֹּ֣ות סֹוחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃ |
15 And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth provision to her household, and a task to her maidens.
| וַתָּ֤קָם ׀ בְּעֹ֬וד לַ֗יְלָה וַתִּתֵּ֣ן טֶ֣רֶף לְבֵיתָ֑הּ וְ֝חֹ֗ק לְנַעֲרֹתֶֽיהָ׃ |
16 She thinketh of a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
| זָמְמָ֣ה שָׂ֭דֶה וַתִּקָּחֵ֑הוּ מִפְּרִ֥י כַ֝פֶּ֗יהָ נְטַע (נָ֣טְעָה) כָּֽרֶם׃ |
17 She girdeth with strength her loins, and giveth vigor to her arms.
| חָֽגְרָ֣ה בְעֹ֣וז מָתְנֶ֑יהָ וַ֝תְּאַמֵּ֗ץ זְרֹעֹותֶֽיהָ׃ |
18 She perceiveth that her profit is good: [therefore] her lamp goeth not out by night.
| טָ֭עֲמָה כִּי־טֹ֣וב סַחְרָ֑הּ לֹֽא־יִכְבֶּ֖ה בַלַּיִל (בַלַּ֣יְלָה) נֵרָֽהּ׃ |
19 She stretcheth out her hands to the spindle, and her palms hold fast the distaff.
| יָ֭דֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָ֣ה בַכִּישֹׁ֑ור וְ֝כַפֶּ֗יהָ תָּ֣מְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃ |
20 She spreadeth out wide her open palm to the poor: yea, her hands she stretcheth forth to the needy.
| כַּ֭פָּהּ פָּרְשָׂ֣ה לֶעָנִ֑י וְ֝יָדֶ֗יהָ שִׁלְּחָ֥ה לָֽאֶבְיֹֽון׃ |
21 She hath no fear for her household of the snow: for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
| לֹא־תִירָ֣א לְבֵיתָ֣הּ מִשָּׁ֑לֶג כִּ֥י כָל־בֵּ֝יתָ֗הּ לָבֻ֥שׁ שָׁנִֽים׃ |
22 Tapestry-covering she maketh for herself: of linen and purple is her attire.
| מַרְבַדִּ֥ים עָֽשְׂתָה־לָּ֑הּ שֵׁ֖שׁ וְאַרְגָּמָ֣ן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃ |
23 Well known is in the gates her husband, when he sitteth with the elders of the land.
| נֹודָ֣ע בַּשְּׁעָרִ֣ים בַּעְלָ֑הּ בְּ֝שִׁבְתֹּ֗ו עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃ |
24 Fine tunics she maketh, and selleth them, and girdles she furnisheth unto the merchant.
| סָדִ֣ין עָ֭שְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּ֑ר וַ֝חֲגֹ֗ור נָתְנָ֥ה לַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃ |
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing: and she smileth at the coming of the last day.
| עֹז־וְהָדָ֥ר לְבוּשָׁ֑הּ וַ֝תִּשְׂחַ֗ק לְיֹ֣ום אַחֲרֹֽון׃ |
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of kindness is on her tongue.
| פִּ֭יהָ פָּתְחָ֣ה בְחָכְמָ֑ה וְתֹֽורַת־חֶ֝֗סֶד עַל־לְשֹׁונָֽהּ׃ |
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and the bread of idleness she doth not eat.
| צֹ֭ופִיָּה הֲלִיכֹ֣ות בֵּיתָ֑הּ וְלֶ֥חֶם עַ֝צְל֗וּת לֹ֣א תֹאכֵֽל׃ |
28 Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband, also, and he praiseth her:
| קָ֣מוּ בָ֭נֶיהָ וַֽיְאַשְּׁר֑וּהָ בַּ֝עְלָ֗הּ וַֽיְהַֽלְלָֽהּ׃ |
29 “Many daughters have done virtuously; but thou excellest them all.”
| רַבֹּ֣ות בָּ֭נֹות עָ֣שׂוּ חָ֑יִל וְ֝אַ֗תְּ עָלִ֥ית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה׃ |
30 False is grace, and vain is beauty: a woman only that feareth the Lord shall indeed be praised.
| שֶׁ֣קֶר הַ֭חֵן וְהֶ֣בֶל הַיֹּ֑פִי אִשָּׁ֥ה יִרְאַת־יְ֝הוָ֗ה הִ֣יא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃ |
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
| תְּנוּ־לָ֭הּ מִפְּרִ֣י יָדֶ֑יהָ וִֽיהַלְל֖וּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִ֣ים מַעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃ |
