Παροιμίαι 31
1 οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλέως χρηματισμός ὃν ἐπαίδευσεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy with which his mother instructed him.
2 τί τέκνον τηρήσεις τί ῥήσεις θεοῦ πρωτογενές σοὶ λέγω υἱέ τί τέκνον ἐμῆς κοιλίας τί τέκνον ἐμῶν εὐχῶν
What [hast thou done], O my son: and what, O son of my body? and what, O son of my vows?
3 μὴ δῷς γυναιξὶ σὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸν σὸν νοῦν καὶ βίον εἰς ὑστεροβουλίαν
Give not unto women thy vigor, nor thy ways to those that ruin kings.
4 μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει μετὰ βουλῆς οἰνοπότει οἱ δυνάσται θυμώδεις εἰσίν οἶνον δὲ μὴ πινέτωσαν
Not for kings, O Lemoel, not for kings [it is fitting] to drink wine, nor for princes, strong drink:
5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρῖναι οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς
Lest either might drink, and forget what is written in the law, and pervert the cause of all the afflicted.
6 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those who have an embittered soul.
7 ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι
Let such a one drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his trouble no more.
8 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ θεοῦ καὶ κρῖνε πάντας ὑγιῶς
Open thy mouth for the dumb, for the cause of all fatherless children.
9 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ
Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and decide the cause of the poor and needy.
10 γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν ἡ τοιαύτη
Who can find a virtuous woman: for far above pearls is her value.
11 θαρσεῖ ἐπ’ αὐτῇ ἡ καρδία τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἡ τοιαύτη καλῶν σκύλων οὐκ ἀπορήσει
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, and he will not see his gain diminish.
12 ἐνεργεῖ γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθὰ πάντα τὸν βίον
She treateth him well and not ill, all the days of her life.
13 μηρυομένη ἔρια καὶ λίνον ἐποίησεν εὔχρηστον ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῆς
She seeketh for wool and flax, and worketh with her willing hands.
14 ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ ναῦς ἐμπορευομένη μακρόθεν συνάγει δὲ αὕτη τὸν βίον
She is become like the merchant's ships: from afar doth she bring her food.
15 καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ ἔργα ταῖς θεραπαίναις
And she riseth while it is yet night, and giveth provision to her household, and a task to her maidens.
16 θεωρήσασα γεώργιον ἐπρίατο ἀπὸ δὲ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς κατεφύτευσεν κτῆμα
She thinketh of a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 ἀναζωσαμένη ἰσχυρῶς τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτῆς ἤρεισεν τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτῆς εἰς ἔργον
She girdeth with strength her loins, and giveth vigor to her arms.
18 ἐγεύσατο ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἀποσβέννυται ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆς
She perceiveth that her profit is good: [therefore] her lamp goeth not out by night.
19 τοὺς πήχεις αὐτῆς ἐκτείνει ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα τὰς δὲ χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐρείδει εἰς ἄτρακτον
She stretcheth out her hands to the spindle, and her palms hold fast the distaff.
20 χεῖρας δὲ αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν πένητι καρπὸν δὲ ἐξέτεινεν πτωχῷ
She spreadeth out wide her open palm to the poor: yea, her hands she stretcheth forth to the needy.
21 οὐ φροντίζει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ὅταν που χρονίζῃ πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρ’ αὐτῆς ἐνδιδύσκονται
She hath no fear for her household of the snow: for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 δισσὰς χλαίνας ἐποίησεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς ἐκ δὲ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας ἑαυτῇ ἐνδύματα
Tapestry-covering she maketh for herself: of linen and purple is her attire.
23 περίβλεπτος δὲ γίνεται ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἡνίκα ἂν καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ μετὰ τῶν γερόντων κατοίκων τῆς γῆς
Well known is in the gates her husband, when he sitteth with the elders of the land.
24 σινδόνας ἐποίησεν καὶ ἀπέδοτο περιζώματα δὲ τοῖς Χαναναίοις
Fine tunics she maketh, and selleth them, and girdles she furnisheth unto the merchant.
25 στόμα αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν προσεχόντως καὶ ἐννόμως καὶ τάξιν ἐστείλατο τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῆς
Strength and dignity are her clothing: and she smileth at the coming of the last day.
26 ἰσχὺν καὶ εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο καὶ εὐφράνθη ἐν ἡμέραις ἐσχάταις
She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and the law of kindness is on her tongue.
27 στεγναὶ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς σῖτα δὲ ὀκνηρὰ οὐκ ἔφαγεν
She looketh well to the ways of her household, and the bread of idleness she doth not eat.
28 τὸ στόμα δὲ ἀνοίγει σοφῶς καὶ νομοθέσμως ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη αὐτῆς ἀνέστησεν τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπλούτησαν καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ᾔνεσεν αὐτήν
Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband, also, and he praiseth her:
29 πολλαὶ θυγατέρες ἐκτήσαντο πλοῦτον πολλαὶ ἐποίησαν δυνατά σὺ δὲ ὑπέρκεισαι καὶ ὑπερῆρας πάσας
“Many daughters have done virtuously; but thou excellest them all.”
30 ψευδεῖς ἀρέσκειαι καὶ μάταιον κάλλος γυναικός γυνὴ γὰρ συνετὴ εὐλογεῖται φόβον δὲ κυρίου αὕτη αἰνείτω
False is grace, and vain is beauty: a woman only that feareth the Lord shall indeed be praised.
31 δότε αὐτῇ ἀπὸ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς καὶ αἰνείσθω ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς
Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates.
