The Oracle of King Lemuel

¹ The words of Lemuel, the king—an oracle that his mother taught him:

² What, my son? And what, my son in my womb? And what, son of my vows?

³ Do not give your strength to the women, and your ways to destroy kings.

⁴ It is not for the kings, O Lemuel; drinking wine is not for the kings, nor is strong drink for rulers.

⁵ Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed, and he will pervert the rights¹ of all the ⌞afflicted⌟.²

1. Hebrew “right”
2. Literally “sons of affliction”

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those ⌞in bitter distress⌟.¹

1. Literally “to bitterness of soul”

⁷ He will drink and forget his poverty, and his misery he will not remember any more.

⁸ Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights¹ of all the ⌞needy⌟.²

1. Hebrew “right”
2. Literally “the sons of the needy”

An Excellent WomanProv 31:10–31 is an acrostic poem

⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteousness, and defend the poor and needy.

¹⁰ A woman¹ of excellence,² who will find? For her worth is far more than precious jewels.

1. Or “wife”
2. Or “strength,” or “valor,” or “ability,” or “efficiency”

¹¹ The heart of her husband¹ trusts in her, and gain he will not lack.

1. Or “lord”

¹² She does him good, but not harm all the days of her life.

¹³ She seeks wool and flax, and she works with the diligence of ⌞her hands⌟.¹

1. Literally “her palms”

¹⁴ She is like the ships of a merchant; from far off she brings her food;¹

1. Or “bread”

¹⁵ And she arises while it is still night, and gives food to her household, and tasks to her servant girls.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it, from the fruit of ⌞her hand⌟¹ she plants a vineyard.

1. Literally “her palm”

¹⁷ She girds her waist in strength, and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is good; her lamp does not go out in the night.

¹⁹ Her hands she puts onto the distaff,¹ and her palms hold a spindle.

1. A stick or spindle onto which wool or flax is wound in preparation for spinning

²⁰ Her palm she opens to the poor, and her hand she reaches out to the needy.

²¹ She does not fear for her house when it snows, for ⌞her entire household⌟¹ is clothed in crimson.

1. Literally “all her house, household”

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

²³ Her husband¹ is known at the gates, in his seat among the elders of the land.

1. Or “lord”

²⁴ Linen garments she makes and sells, and she supplies sashes for the merchants.

²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs ⌞at the future⌟.¹

1. Literally “to the day/time coming after”

²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom, and instruction of kindness is upon her tongue.

²⁷ She looks after the ways of her household, and the bread of idleness she will not eat.

²⁸ Her children rise and consider her happy, her husband¹ also, and he praises her;

1. Or “lord”

²⁹ “Many daughters have done excellence,¹ but ⌞you surpass⌟² all of them.”

1. Or “strength,” or “valor,” or “ability,” or “efficiency”
2. Literally “you ascend over”

³⁰ Charm¹ is deceit and beauty² is vain;³ but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.

1. Hebrew “The charm”
2. Hebrew “the beauty”
3. Or “vapor,” or “emptiness,” or “breath”

³¹ Give to her from the fruit of her hand, and may they praise her works in the city gates.