Proverbs 31
1 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL: The prophecie which his mother taught him.
2 'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
What my sonne! and what ye sonne of my wombe! and what, O sonne of my desires!
3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of strong drink.
It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strog drinke,
5 Lest he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction.
6 Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart.
7 He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
Let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
Open thy mouth: iudge righteously, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore.
10 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
Who shall finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue the pearles.
11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall haue no neede of spoyle.
12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
She will doe him good, and not euill all the dayes of her life.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefully with her handes.
14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
She is like the shippes of marchants: shee bringeth her foode from afarre.
15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides.
16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
She considereth a field, and getteth it: and with the fruite of her handes she planteth a vineyarde.
17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes.
18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
She feeleth that her marchandise is good: her candle is not put out by night.
19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle.
20 Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
She stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and putteth foorth her hands to the needie.
21 She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
She feareth not the snowe for her familie: for all her familie is clothed with skarlet.
22 Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
She maketh her selfe carpets: fine linen and purple is her garment.
23 Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
Her husband is knowen in the gates, when he sitteth with the Elders of the land.
24 Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
She maketh sheetes, and selleth them, and giueth girdels vnto the marchant.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall reioyce.
26 Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
She openeth her mouth with wisdome, and the lawe of grace is in her tongue.
27 She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
She ouerseeth the wayes of her housholde, and eateth not the bread of ydlenes.
28 Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
Her children rise vp, and call her blessed: her husband also shall prayse her, saying,
29 'Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'
Many daughters haue done vertuously: but thou surmountest them all.
30 The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in the gates!
Giue her of the fruite of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.
