Proverbs · Berean Standard Bible
Proverbs 31 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 These are the words of King Lemuel—the burden that his mother taught him:
1 The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2 What shall I say, O my son? What, O son of my womb? What, O son of my vows?
2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3 Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
5 lest they drink and forget what is decreed, depriving all the oppressed of justice.
5 lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.
6 Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7 Let him drink and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for those with no voice, for the cause of all the dispossessed.
8 Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the poor and needy.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10 A wife of noble character, who can find? She is far more precious than rubies.
10 Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he lacks nothing of value.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 She brings him good and not harm all the days of her life.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.
14 She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 She rises while it is still night to provide food for her household and portions for her maidservants.
15 She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 She appraises a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
16 She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 She girds herself with strength and shows that her arms are strong.
17 She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 She sees that her gain is good, and her lamp is not extinguished at night.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her arms to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
20 She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household, for they are all clothed in scarlet.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known at the city gate, where he sits among the elders of the land.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she delivers sashes to the merchants.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the days to come.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband praises her as well:
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29 “Many daughters have done noble things, but you surpass them all!”
29 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her at the gates.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Lemuel
A king whose words, taught him by his mother, are recorded in Proverbs 31.
Cited in the guide: Proverbs 31:1
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)