Proverbs 31  Living Bible

31 These are the wise sayings of King Lemuel of Massa,^[a] taught to him at his mother’s knee:

² O my son, whom I have dedicated to the Lord, ³ do not spend your time with women—the royal pathway to destruction.

⁴ And it is not for kings, O Lemuel, to drink wine and whiskey. ⁵ For if they drink, they may forget their duties and be unable to give justice to those who are oppressed. ^6-7 Hard liquor is for sick men at the brink of death, and wine for those in deep depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and misery.

⁸ You should defend those who cannot help themselves. ⁹ Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

¹⁰ If you can find a truly good wife, she is worth more than precious gems! ¹¹ Her husband can trust her, and she will richly satisfy his needs. ¹² She will not hinder him but help him all her life. ¹³ She finds wool and flax and busily spins it. ¹⁴ She buys imported foods brought by ship from distant ports. ¹⁵ She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plans the day’s work for her servant girls. ¹⁶ She goes out to inspect a field and buys it; with her own hands she plants a vineyard. ¹⁷ She is energetic, a hard worker, ¹⁸ and watches for bargains. She works far into the night!

^19-20 She sews for the poor and generously helps those in need. ²¹ She has no fear of winter for her household, for she has made warm clothes for all of them. ²² She also upholsters with finest tapestry; her own clothing is beautifully made—a purple gown of pure linen. ²³ Her husband is well known, for he sits in the council chamber with the other civic leaders. ²⁴ She makes belted linen garments to sell to the merchants.

²⁵ She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of old age. ²⁶ When she speaks, her words are wise, and kindness is the rule for everything she says. ²⁷ She watches carefully all that goes on throughout her household and is never lazy. ²⁸ Her children stand and bless her; so does her husband. He praises her with these words: ²⁹ “There are many fine women in the world, but you are the best of them all!”

³⁰ Charm can be deceptive and beauty doesn’t last, but a woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised. ³¹ Praise her for the many fine things she does. These good deeds of hers shall bring her honor and recognition from people of importance.^[b]