Παροιμίαι 31
1 οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλέως χρηματισμός ὃν ἐπαίδευσεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
These are sayings/messages that [God gave to] King Lemuel’s mother, and which his mother taught him:
2 τί τέκνον τηρήσεις τί ῥήσεις θεοῦ πρωτογενές σοὶ λέγω υἱέ τί τέκνον ἐμῆς κοιλίας τί τέκνον ἐμῶν εὐχῶν
You are my son; I gave birth to you [RHQ]; you are the son that [God gave me] in answer to my prayers.
3 μὴ δῷς γυναιξὶ σὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸν σὸν νοῦν καὶ βίον εἰς ὑστεροβουλίαν
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 μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει μετὰ βουλῆς οἰνοπότει οἱ δυνάσται θυμώδεις εἰσίν οἶνον δὲ μὴ πινέτωσαν
Lemuel, kings should not be [constantly] drinking wine or [greatly] desire [to drink other] strong/alcoholic drinks.
5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρῖναι οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς
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 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις
Give strong/alcoholic drinks to those who are dying and to those who are (greatly distressed/suffering very much).
7 ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι
If they drink, they will forget that they are poor, and they will not think about their distress/troubles any more.
8 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ θεοῦ καὶ κρῖνε πάντας ὑγιῶς
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 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ
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 γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν ἡ τοιαύτη
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 θαρσεῖ ἐπ’ αὐτῇ ἡ καρδία τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἡ τοιαύτη καλῶν σκύλων οὐκ ἀπορήσει
Her husband completely trusts her, and [because of her], he has everything that he needs [LIT].
12 ἐνεργεῖ γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθὰ πάντα τὸν βίον
She never does anything that would harm him; she does good things for him all the days of her life.
13 μηρυομένη ἔρια καὶ λίνον ἐποίησεν εὔχρηστον ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῆς
She finds wool and flax [in the market], and she enjoys spinning it [to make yarn].
14 ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ ναῦς ἐμπορευομένη μακρόθεν συνάγει δὲ αὕτη τὸν βίον
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 καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ ἔργα ταῖς θεραπαίναις
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 θεωρήσασα γεώργιον ἐπρίατο ἀπὸ δὲ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς κατεφύτευσεν κτῆμα
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 ἀναζωσαμένη ἰσχυρῶς τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτῆς ἤρεισεν τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτῆς εἰς ἔργον
She works very hard [IDM]; she makes her arms strong [by the work she does].
18 ἐγεύσατο ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἀποσβέννυται ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆς
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 τοὺς πήχεις αὐτῆς ἐκτείνει ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα τὰς δὲ χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐρείδει εἰς ἄτρακτον
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 χεῖρας δὲ αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν πένητι καρπὸν δὲ ἐξέτεινεν πτωχῷ
She generously helps [MTY] those who are poor and needy [DOU].
21 οὐ φροντίζει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ὅταν που χρονίζῃ πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρ’ αὐτῆς ἐνδιδύσκονται
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 δισσὰς χλαίνας ἐποίησεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς ἐκ δὲ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας ἑαυτῇ ἐνδύματα
She makes bedspreads/quilts for the beds. She wears fine linen clothes that are dyed purple, [like queens wear].
23 περίβλεπτος δὲ γίνεται ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἡνίκα ἂν καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ μετὰ τῶν γερόντων κατοίκων τῆς γῆς
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 σινδόνας ἐποίησεν καὶ ἀπέδοτο περιζώματα δὲ τοῖς Χαναναίοις
She makes clothes from linen cloth and sells them. She sells sashes to shop owners.
25 στόμα αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν προσεχόντως καὶ ἐννόμως καὶ τάξιν ἐστείλατο τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῆς
She is strong in her character and respected/dignified, and she (laughs at/is not afraid of) [what will happen in] the future.
26 ἰσχὺν καὶ εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο καὶ εὐφράνθη ἐν ἡμέραις ἐσχάταις
When she speaks, she says what is wise. When she gives instructions, she speaks [MTY] kindly (OR, faithfully).
27 στεγναὶ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς σῖτα δὲ ὀκνηρὰ οὐκ ἔφαγεν
She watches over everything that is done in her household, and she [IDM] is never lazy.
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 all together speak highly of her, and her husband also praises her.
29 πολλαὶ θυγατέρες ἐκτήσαντο πλοῦτον πολλαὶ ἐποίησαν δυνατά σὺ δὲ ὑπέρκεισαι καὶ ὑπερῆρας πάσας
[He says to her], “There are many women who do admirable things, but you surpass them all!”
30 ψευδεῖς ἀρέσκειαι καὶ μάταιον κάλλος γυναικός γυνὴ γὰρ συνετὴ εὐλογεῖται φόβον δὲ κυρίου αὕτη αἰνείτω
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 δότε αὐτῇ ἀπὸ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς καὶ αἰνείσθω ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς
Reward women who are like that, and praise them in public [MTY] for what they have done.
