Proverbs 31

The Sayings for King Lemuel

¹These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:

• PROV 31:1[NOTE]KING LEMUEL. No king named Lemuel is known from history. Some old Jewish writers said Lemuel was a pet name for Solomon, and his mother Bathsheba, but that is a guess.

²What shall I say, O my son?

What, O son of my womb?

What, O son of my vows?

³Do not spend your strength on women

or your vigor on those who ruin kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to crave strong drink,

⁵lest they drink and forget what is decreed,

depriving all the oppressed of justice.

⁶Give strong drink to one who is perishing,

and wine to the bitter in soul.

⁷Let him drink and forget his poverty,

and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for those with no voice,

for the cause of all the dispossessed.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,

and defend the cause of the poor and needy.

The Virtues of a Noble Woman

¹⁰A wife of noble character, who can find?

She is far more precious than rubies.

• PROV 31:10[NOTABLE]The whole A to Z poem is a picture of a strong, wise, godly woman. What matters most is that she fears Yahweh, 31:30.
• PROV 31:10[NOTE]A TO Z. 31:10 to 31 is a poem with 22 verses. Each verse starts with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet, from aleph to tav. See the Big Question The Proverbs 31 Woman.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he lacks nothing of value.

¹²She brings him good and not harm

all the days of her life.

¹³She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

¹⁵She rises while it is still night

to provide food for her household

and portions for her maidservants.

¹⁶She appraises a field and buys it;

from her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds herself with strength

and shows that her arms are strong.

¹⁸She sees that her gain is good,

and her lamp is not extinguished at night.

¹⁹She stretches out her hands to the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor

and reaches out her hands to the needy.

²¹When it snows, she has no fear for her household,

for they are all clothed in scarlet.

²²She makes coverings for her bed;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is known at the city gates,

where he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchants.

²⁵Strength and honor are her clothing,

and she can laugh at the days to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband praises her as well:

²⁹“Many daughters have done noble things,

but you surpass them all!”

³⁰Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,

but a woman who fears Yahweh is to be praised.

• PROV 31:30[NOTE]THE LAST WORD. The book that started with the fear of Yahweh, 1:7, ends with a woman who fears Yahweh.

³¹Give her the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her at the gates.