CHAPTER 31
1 The words of Lemuel, the king; the vision by which his mother taught him.
2 What, my darling? what, the darling of my womb? what, the darling of my desires?
3 Give thou not thy chattel [or thy substance] to women, and thy riches to do away kings.
4 A! Lemuel, do not thou give wine to kings; for no privacy there is, where drunkenness reigneth.
5 Lest peradventure they drink, and forget dooms, and change the cause of the sons of a poor man.
6 Give ye cider to them that mourn, and wine to them that be of bitter soul.
7 Drink they, and forget they their neediness; and think they no more on their sorrow.
8 Open thy mouth for a dumb man, and open thy mouth for the causes of all sons that pass forth.
9 Deem thou that that is just, and deem thou a needy man and a poor man.
10 Who shall find a strong woman? the price of her is[a] far, and from the last [or utmost] ends.
11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her; and he shall not have need to robberies.
12 She shall yield to him good, and not evil, in all the days of her life.
13 She sought wool and flax; and wrought by the counsel of her hands.
14 She is made as the ship of a merchant, that beareth his bread from [a] far.
15 And she rose by night, and gave lifelode to her menials, and meats to her handmaidens.
16 She beheld a field, and bought it; of the fruit of her hands she planted a vinery [or a vineyard].
17 She girded her loins with strength, and made strong her arm.
18 She tasted, and saw, that her merchandise was good; her lantern shall not be quenched in the night.
19 She put her hands to the wharve, and her fingers took the spindle.
20 She opened her hand to the needy man, and stretched forth her hands to a poor man.
21 She shall not dread for her house of the colds of snow; for all her menials be clothed with double clothes.
22 She made to her a ray-cloth; bis, either white silk, and purple is the cloth[ing] of her.
23 Her husband is noble in the gates, when he sitteth with the senators of [the] earth.
24 She made linen cloth, and sold it; and gave a girdle to a merchant.
25 Strength and fairness is the clothing of her; and she shall laugh in the last day.
26 She opened her mouth to wisdom; and the law of mercy is in her tongue.
27 She beheld the paths of her house; and she ate not bread idly.
28 Her sons rose up, and preached her most blessed; her husband rose, and praised her.
29 Many daughters gathered riches; thou passedest them all.
30 Fairness is deceivable grace, and vain; that woman, that dreadeth the Lord, [she] shall be praised.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands; and her works praise her in the gates.