The Words of King Lemuel

¹The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

²What are you doing, my son?1 What are you doing, fson of my womb?

What are you doing, gson of my vows?

³Do hnot give your strength to women,

your ways to those iwho destroy kings.

⁴jIt is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings kto drink wine,

or for rulers to take lstrong drink,

⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed

and mpervert the rights of all the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to the one who nis perishing,

and wine to othose in bitter distress;2

⁷plet them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more.

⁸qOpen your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.3

⁹Open your mouth, rjudge righteously,

sdefend the rights of tthe poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰4 uAn excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than vjewels.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

¹²She does him good, and not harm,

all the days of her life.

¹³She wseeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;

she brings her food from afar.

¹⁵She xrises while it is yet night

and yprovides food for her household

and portions for her maidens.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She zdresses herself5 with strength

and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She aopens her hand to bthe poor

and reaches out her hands to bthe needy.

²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in cscarlet.6

²²She makes dbed coverings for herself;

her clothing is efine linen and fpurple.

²³Her husband is known in gthe gates

when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes hlinen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchant.

²⁵iStrength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the time to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

²⁹“Many jwomen have done kexcellently,

but you surpass them all.”

³⁰lCharm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.