1 My words have been spoken by God—the oracular answer of a king, whom his mother instructed. 2 What will you keep, my son, what? the words of God. My firstborn son, I speak to you: what? son of my womb? what? * son of my vows? 3 Give not your wealth to women, nor your mind and living to remorse. Do all things with counsel: drink wine with counsel. 4 Princes are prone to anger: let them then not drink wine: 5 lest they drink, and forget wisdom, and be not able to judge the poor rightly. 6 Give strong drink to those that are in sorrow, and the wine to drink to those in pain: 7 that they may forget their poverty, and may not remember their troubles any more. 8 Open your mouth with the word of God, and judge all fairly. 9 Open your mouth and judge justly, and plead the cause of the poor and weak. 10 Who shall find a virtuous woman? For such a one is more valuable than precious stones. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her: Such a one shall stand in no need of fine spoils. 12 For she employs all her living for her husband’s good. 13 Gathering wool and flax, she makes it serviceable with her hands. 14 She is like a ship trading from a distance: So she procures her livelihood. 15 And she rises by night, And gives food to her household, And [appointed] tasks to her maidens. 16 She views a farm, and buys it: And with the fruit of her hands she plants a possession. 17 She strongly girds her loins, And strengthens her arms for work. 18 And she finds by experience that working is good; And her candle goes not out all night. 19 She reaches forth her arms to needful [works], And applies her hands to the spindle. 20 And she opens her hands to the needy, And reaches out fruit to the poor. 21 Her husband is not anxious about those at home when he tarries anywhere abroad: For all her household are clothed. 22 She makes for her husband clothes of double texture, And garments for herself of fine linen and scarlet. 23 And her husband becomes a distinguished [person] in the gates, When he sits in council with the old inhabitants of the land. 24 She makes fine linens, And sells girdles to the Canaanites: She opens her mouth heedfully and with propriety, And controls her tongue. 25 She puts on strength and honor; And rejoices in the last days. 26 The ways of her household are careful, And she eats not the bread of idleness. 27 But she opens her mouth wisely, and according to law. 28 And [her] kindness to them sets up her children for them, and they grow rich, And her husband praises her. 29 Many daughters have obtained wealth, Many have wrought valiantly; But thou hast exceeded, thou hast surpassed all. 30 Charms are false, and woman’s beauty is vain: For it is a wise woman that is blessed, And let her praise the fear of the Lord. 31 Give her of the fruit of her lips; And let her husband be praised in the gates.
Proverbs · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Proverbs 31 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
Cross references (30)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:5; Proverbs 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:15; Proverbs 30:1
- 2 Isaiah 49:15; 1 Samuel 1:11; 1 Samuel 1:28
- 3 Deuteronomy 17:17; Nehemiah 13:26; Proverbs 7:26–27; Proverbs 5:9–11; 1 Kings 11:1
- 4 Proverbs 20:1; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Isaiah 5:22; Hosea 4:11–12; Habakkuk 2:5
- 5 Habakkuk 2:5
- 6 1 Timothy 5:23; Psalm 104:15; 1 Samuel 1:10; Job 3:20; 2 Kings 4:27
- 7 Ephesians 5:18
- 8 Psalm 82:3–4; Proverbs 24:11–12; Jeremiah 38:7–10; Jeremiah 26:24; Esther 4:13–16
- 9 Isaiah 1:17; Amos 5:11–12; Leviticus 19:15; Job 29:15–16; Deuteronomy 1:16
- 10 Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 12:4; Ephesians 5:25–33; Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 3:15
- 11 1 Peter 3:1–7
- 13 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12; Acts 9:39–40; Ruth 2:23
- 14 Ezekiel 27:3–36; 1 Kings 9:26–28
- 15 Romans 12:11; Mark 1:35; Luke 12:42; Proverbs 20:13; Ecclesiastes 9:10
- 16 Matthew 13:44; Song of Songs 8:12; Joshua 15:18
- 17 Job 38:3; 1 Peter 1:13; Ephesians 6:10; Luke 12:35; Ephesians 6:14
- 18 1 Thessalonians 2:9; Matthew 25:3–10; Genesis 31:40; Psalm 127:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
- 19 Exodus 35:25–26
- 20 Ephesians 4:28; Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9; Romans 12:13
- 21 Genesis 45:22; Proverbs 25:20; 2 Samuel 1:24
- 22 Revelation 19:8; Proverbs 7:16; Genesis 41:42; Ezekiel 16:10–13; Esther 8:15
- 23 Proverbs 12:4; Ruth 4:1; Deuteronomy 16:18; Ruth 4:11; Job 29:7
- 24 Luke 16:19; Ezekiel 27:16; 1 Kings 10:28; Proverbs 31:19; Judges 14:12
- 25 Job 40:10; Romans 13:14; 1 Timothy 2:10; Ephesians 4:24; Job 29:14
- 26 Ephesians 4:29; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 10:31; Proverbs 12:18; Colossians 4:5
- 27 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Proverbs 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:11
- 28 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 Kings 2:19; Proverbs 31:1; Psalm 116:16
- 29 Song of Songs 6:8–9; Ephesians 5:27
- 30 Proverbs 1:7; 1 Peter 3:4–5; Proverbs 11:22; Proverbs 8:13; 1 Peter 1:24
- 31 Psalm 128:2; Hebrews 6:10; Revelation 14:13; Matthew 7:16; Romans 16:1–4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And mercy is in His tongue, therefore mercifully teacheth He the law, as it is said regarding wisdom, "The law and mercy doth she carry in her tongue." Do not fear that thou art not able to fulfill the law, flee to mercy.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)