Παροιμίαι 31
1 οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ὑπὸ θεοῦ βασιλέως χρηματισμός ὃν ἐπαίδευσεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2 τί τέκνον τηρήσεις τί ῥήσεις θεοῦ πρωτογενές σοὶ λέγω υἱέ τί τέκνον ἐμῆς κοιλίας τί τέκνον ἐμῶν εὐχῶν
“Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3 μὴ δῷς γυναιξὶ σὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὸν σὸν νοῦν καὶ βίον εἰς ὑστεροβουλίαν
Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 μετὰ βουλῆς πάντα ποίει μετὰ βουλῆς οἰνοπότει οἱ δυνάσται θυμώδεις εἰσίν οἶνον δὲ μὴ πινέτωσαν
It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρῖναι οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς
lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7 ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι
Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα λόγῳ θεοῦ καὶ κρῖνε πάντας ὑγιῶς
Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ
Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10 γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστιν λίθων πολυτελῶν ἡ τοιαύτη
Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 θαρσεῖ ἐπ’ αὐτῇ ἡ καρδία τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς ἡ τοιαύτη καλῶν σκύλων οὐκ ἀπορήσει
The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 ἐνεργεῖ γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ ἀγαθὰ πάντα τὸν βίον
She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 μηρυομένη ἔρια καὶ λίνον ἐποίησεν εὔχρηστον ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῆς
She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ ναῦς ἐμπορευομένη μακρόθεν συνάγει δὲ αὕτη τὸν βίον
She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν καὶ ἔδωκεν βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ ἔργα ταῖς θεραπαίναις
She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 θεωρήσασα γεώργιον ἐπρίατο ἀπὸ δὲ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς κατεφύτευσεν κτῆμα
She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 ἀναζωσαμένη ἰσχυρῶς τὴν ὀσφὺν αὐτῆς ἤρεισεν τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτῆς εἰς ἔργον
She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 ἐγεύσατο ὅτι καλόν ἐστιν τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι καὶ οὐκ ἀποσβέννυται ὅλην τὴν νύκτα ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆς
She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 τοὺς πήχεις αὐτῆς ἐκτείνει ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα τὰς δὲ χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐρείδει εἰς ἄτρακτον
She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 χεῖρας δὲ αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν πένητι καρπὸν δὲ ἐξέτεινεν πτωχῷ
She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 οὐ φροντίζει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ὅταν που χρονίζῃ πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρ’ αὐτῆς ἐνδιδύσκονται
She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 δισσὰς χλαίνας ἐποίησεν τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς ἐκ δὲ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας ἑαυτῇ ἐνδύματα
She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 περίβλεπτος δὲ γίνεται ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἡνίκα ἂν καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ μετὰ τῶν γερόντων κατοίκων τῆς γῆς
Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 σινδόνας ἐποίησεν καὶ ἀπέδοτο περιζώματα δὲ τοῖς Χαναναίοις
She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 στόμα αὐτῆς διήνοιξεν προσεχόντως καὶ ἐννόμως καὶ τάξιν ἐστείλατο τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῆς
Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 ἰσχὺν καὶ εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο καὶ εὐφράνθη ἐν ἡμέραις ἐσχάταις
She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 στεγναὶ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς σῖτα δὲ ὀκνηρὰ οὐκ ἔφαγεν
She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
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 praises her:
29 πολλαὶ θυγατέρες ἐκτήσαντο πλοῦτον πολλαὶ ἐποίησαν δυνατά σὺ δὲ ὑπέρκεισαι καὶ ὑπερῆρας πάσας
“Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 ψευδεῖς ἀρέσκειαι καὶ μάταιον κάλλος γυναικός γυνὴ γὰρ συνετὴ εὐλογεῖται φόβον δὲ κυρίου αὕτη αἰνείτω
Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 δότε αὐτῇ ἀπὸ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς καὶ αἰνείσθω ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς
Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!
