¹ The sayings of King Lemuel—an oracle¹ his mother taught him:

    ² "O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows,²

    ³ do not spend your strength on women,
                            your vigor on those who ruin kings.

    ⁴ "It is not for kings, O Lemuel—
               not for kings to drink wine,
               not for rulers to crave beer,

    ⁵ lest they drink and forget what the law decrees,
       and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

    ⁶ Give beer to those who are perishing,
       wine to those who are in anguish;

    ⁷ let them drink and forget their poverty
       and remember their misery no more.

 

    ^8-9 "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
                        for the rights of all who are destitute.

    ⁹    Speak up and judge fairly;
                  defend the rights of the poor and needy."
      
 

Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character³

 ¹⁰ A wife of noble character who can find?
                       She is worth far more than rubies.

    ¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
                            and lacks nothing of value.

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

   

¹³ She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ship bringing her food from afar.

   

¹⁵ She gets up while it is still dark;
                        she provides food for her family
                                      and portions for her servant girls.

   

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
       out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
       her arms are strong for her tasks.

¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
       and her lamp does not go out at night.

   

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
       and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

   

²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
       and extends her hands to the needy.

   

²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
       for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

²² She makes coverings for her bed;
       she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

   

²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
       where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

 

²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
       and supplies the merchants with sashes.

   

²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
       she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
       and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

   

²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
       and does not eat the bread of idleness.

   

 ²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
       her husband also, and he praises her:

   

²⁹ "Many women do noble things,
       but you surpass them all."


³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
               but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

³¹ Give her the reward she has earned,
               and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Footnotes:

1  verse 1 Or of Lemuel king of Massa, which
2  verse 2 Or / the answer to my prayers
3  verses 10-31 are an acrostic, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet