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, son of my womb?

What are you doing, son of my vows?

³Do not give your strength to women,

your ways to those who destroy kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to take strong drink,

⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed

and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,

and wine to those in bitter distress;2

⁷let them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.3

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰4 An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than jewels.

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 seeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

¹⁴She is like the ships of the merchant;

she brings her food from afar.

¹⁵She rises while it is yet night

and provides 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 dresses 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 opens her hand to the poor

and reaches out her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in scarlet.6

²²She makes bed coverings for herself;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is known in the gates

when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchant.

²⁵Strength 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 women have done excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

³⁰Charm 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.