Proverbs 31

² What, O my son?
And what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?
³ Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
⁵ For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And pervert the ^[b]rights of all the ^[c]afflicted.
⁶ Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to him ^[d]whose life is bitter.
⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty
And remember his trouble no more.
⁸ Open your mouth for the mute,
For the ^[e]rights of all the ^[f]unfortunate.
⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And ^[g]defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

¹⁰ An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
¹³ She looks for wool and flax
And works with her ^[h]hands ^[i]in delight.
¹⁴ She is like merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises also while it is still night
And gives food to her household
And ^[j]portions to her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
From ^[k]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She girds ^[l]herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her ^[m]hands grasp the spindle.
²⁰ She ^[n]extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
And ^[o]supplies belts to the ^[p]tradesmen.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ^[q]future.
²⁶ She opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ^[r]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;
Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
²⁹ “Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ^[s]fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her the ^[t]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.