¹ These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:

² What shall I say,¹ O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?

1. Or What or What are you doing

³ Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,

⁵ lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.

⁶ Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.

⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸ Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.

The Virtues of a Noble Woman

⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

¹⁰ A wife¹ of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.

1. Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.

¹² She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.

¹³ She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵ She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.

¹⁶ She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She girds herself¹ with strength and shows that her arms are strong.

1. Hebrew She girds her loins

¹⁸ She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.

¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet.¹

1. Or doubly clothed

²² She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³ Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.

²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:

²⁹ “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”

³⁰ Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.