PROVERBS 31 [†]The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2 What are you doing, my son? [1] What are you doing,  f son of my womb?

What are you doing,  g son of my vows?

3[^][†] Do  h not give your strength to women,

your ways to those  i who destroy kings.

4[†]  j It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings  k to drink wine,

or for rulers to take  l strong drink,

5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed

and  m pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

6[†] Give strong drink to the one who  n is perishing,

and wine to  o those in bitter distress; [2]

7  p let them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more.

8  q Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute. [3]

9 Open your mouth,  r judge righteously,

 s defend the rights of  t the poor and needy.

10[^][†]  [4]  u An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than  v 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 harm,

all the days of her life.

13[†] She  w seeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

14[†] She is like the ships of the merchant;

she brings her food from afar.

15[†] She  x rises while it is yet night

and  y provides food for her household

and portions for her maidens.

16[†] She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17 She  z dresses herself [5] with strength

and makes her arms strong.

18[†] She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

19[†] She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her hands hold the spindle.

20[†] She  a opens her hand to  b the poor

and reaches out her hands to  b the needy.

21[†] She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in  c scarlet. [6]

22[†] She makes  d bed coverings for herself;

her clothing is  e fine linen and  f purple.

23[†] Her husband is known in  g the gates

when he sits among the elders of the land.

24[†] She makes  h linen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchant.

25[†]  i Strength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the time to come.

26[†] She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the 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 call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many  j women have done  k excellently,

but you surpass them all.”

30[†]  l Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

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

31[†] Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.