CHAPTER 31

                ¹The words of Lemuel, king of Massa, with which his mother reproved him:

                ²No, my son. Oh, no, son of my womb,

                    oh, no, son of my vows.

                ³Do not give your vigor to women,

                    nor your ways to destroyers of kings.

                ⁴Not for kings, Lemuel, not for kings,

                    the drinking of wine, nor for rulers, strong drink.

                ⁵Lest he drink and forget inscribed law,

                    and reverse the judgment of all wretched men.

                ⁶Give strong drink to the perishing man

                    and wine to those deeply embittered.

                ⁷Let him drink and forget his privation,

                    and his misery let him no more recall.

                ⁸Open your mouth for the dumb,

                    for the judgment of all fleeting folk.

                ⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,

                    grant justice to the poor and the wretched.

                ¹⁰A worthy woman who can find?^ℵ

                    Her price is far beyond rubies.

                ¹¹The heart of her husband trusts her,^ב

                    and no prize does he lack.

                ¹²She repays him good and not evil^ג

                    all the days of her life.

                ¹³She seeks out wool and flax^ד

                    and performs with willing hands.

                ¹⁴She is like merchant ships,^ה

                    from afar she brings her bread.

                ¹⁵She gets up while it is still night^ו

                    and provides nourishment for her house

                          and a portion for her young women.

                ¹⁶She sets her mind on a field and buys it,^ז

                    from the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

                ¹⁷She girds her loins in strength^ח

                    and gives power to her arms.

                ¹⁸She understands that her wares are good,^ט

                    her lamp does not go out at night.

                ¹⁹Her hands she reaches out to the distaff,^י

                    and her palms hold on to the spindle.

                ²⁰Her palm she opens to the poor,^כ

                    and her hands she extends to the wretched.

                ²¹She does not fear for her household because of snow,^ל

                    for her whole household is clothed in scarlet.

                ²²Covers she makes for herself,^מ

                    linen and purple, her garments.

                ²³Her husband is famed in the gates^נ

                    when he sits with the land’s elders.

                ²⁴Fine cloth she makes, and she sells it,^ס

                    a loincloth she gives to the trader.

                ²⁵Strength and grandeur are her garment,^ע

                    and she laughs at the day to come.

                ²⁶She opens her mouth in wisdom,^פ

                    teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

                ²⁷She looks after the ways of her house,^צ

                    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

                ²⁸Her sons rise and call her happy,^ק

                    her husband, he praises her:

                ²⁹“Many daughters have done worthy things,^ר

                    but you—you surpass them all.”

                ³⁰Grace is a lie and beauty mere breath—^ש

                    a LORD-fearing woman, it is she who is praised.

                ³¹Give her from the fruit of her hands,^ת

                    and let her deeds praise her in the gates.