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Proverbs · Catholic Public Domain Version

Proverbs 31 Catholic Public Domain Version

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  • Catholic
  • OT: Latin Vulgate
  • NT: Latin Vulgate
  • Catholic (73 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2009
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (3)
CPDV Catholic Public Domain Version
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 The words of king Lamuel. The vision by which his mother instructed him:
1 The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2 “What, O my beloved? What, O beloved of my womb? What, O beloved of my vows?
2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3 Do not give your substance to women, or your riches to overthrow kings.
3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 Not to kings, O Lamuel, not to kings give wine. For there are no secrets where drunkenness reigns.
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 And perhaps they may drink and forget judgments, and alter the case of the sons of the poor.
5 lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the grieving, and wine to those who are bitter in soul.
6 Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7 Let them drink, and forget their needs, and remember their sorrow no more.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open your mouth for the mute and for all the cases of the sons who are passing through.
8 Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9 Open your mouth, declare what is just, and do justice to the indigent and the poor.
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10 Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price.
10 Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 She has become like a merchant’s ship, bringing her bread from far away.
14 She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 And she has risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and provisions to her maids.
15 She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 She has considered a field and bought it. From the fruit of her own hands, she has planted a vineyard.
16 She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 She has wrapped her waist with fortitude, and she has strengthened her arm.
17 She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 She has tasted and seen that her tasks are good; her lamp shall not be extinguished at night.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She has opened her hand to the needy, and she has extended her hands to the poor.
20 She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 She shall not fear, in the cold of snow, for her household. For all those of her household have been clothed two-fold.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She has made embroidered clothing for herself. Fine linen and purple is her garment.
22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is noble at the gates, when he sits among the senators of the land.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She has made finely woven cloth and sold it, and she has delivered a waistband to the Canaanite.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and elegance are her clothing, and she will laugh in the final days.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 She has opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 She has considered the paths of her household, and she has not eaten her bread in idleness.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her sons rose up and predicted great happiness; her husband rose up and praised her.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29 Many daughters have gathered together riches; you have surpassed them all.
29 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 Charm is false, and beauty is vain. The woman who fears the Lord, the same shall be praised.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Give to her from the fruit of her own 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!
Cross references (30)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 Proverbs 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:5; Proverbs 1:8; 2 Timothy 3:15; Proverbs 30:1
  2. 2 Isaiah 49:15; 1 Samuel 1:11; 1 Samuel 1:28
  3. 3 Deuteronomy 17:17; Nehemiah 13:26; Proverbs 7:26–27; Proverbs 5:9–11; 1 Kings 11:1
  4. 4 Proverbs 20:1; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Isaiah 5:22; Hosea 4:11–12; Habakkuk 2:5
  5. 5 Habakkuk 2:5
  6. 6 1 Timothy 5:23; Psalm 104:15; 1 Samuel 1:10; Job 3:20; 2 Kings 4:27
  7. 7 Ephesians 5:18
  8. 8 Psalm 82:3–4; Proverbs 24:11–12; Jeremiah 38:7–10; Jeremiah 26:24; Esther 4:13–16
  9. 9 Isaiah 1:17; Amos 5:11–12; Leviticus 19:15; Job 29:15–16; Deuteronomy 1:16
  10. 10 Proverbs 19:14; Proverbs 12:4; Ephesians 5:25–33; Proverbs 18:22; Proverbs 3:15
  11. 11 1 Peter 3:1–7
  12. 13 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12; Acts 9:39–40; Ruth 2:23
  13. 14 Ezekiel 27:3–36; 1 Kings 9:26–28
  14. 15 Romans 12:11; Mark 1:35; Luke 12:42; Proverbs 20:13; Ecclesiastes 9:10
  15. 16 Matthew 13:44; Song of Songs 8:12; Joshua 15:18
  16. 17 Job 38:3; 1 Peter 1:13; Ephesians 6:10; Luke 12:35; Ephesians 6:14
  17. 18 1 Thessalonians 2:9; Matthew 25:3–10; Genesis 31:40; Psalm 127:2; 2 Thessalonians 3:7–9
  18. 19 Exodus 35:25–26
  19. 20 Ephesians 4:28; Hebrews 13:16; Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 22:9; Romans 12:13
  20. 21 Genesis 45:22; Proverbs 25:20; 2 Samuel 1:24
  21. 22 Revelation 19:8; Proverbs 7:16; Genesis 41:42; Ezekiel 16:10–13; Esther 8:15
  22. 23 Proverbs 12:4; Ruth 4:1; Deuteronomy 16:18; Ruth 4:11; Job 29:7
  23. 24 Luke 16:19; Ezekiel 27:16; 1 Kings 10:28; Proverbs 31:19; Judges 14:12
  24. 25 Job 40:10; Romans 13:14; 1 Timothy 2:10; Ephesians 4:24; Job 29:14
  25. 26 Ephesians 4:29; Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 10:31; Proverbs 12:18; Colossians 4:5
  26. 27 1 Timothy 5:10; Titus 2:4; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; Proverbs 14:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:11
  27. 28 2 Timothy 1:5; 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 1 Kings 2:19; Proverbs 31:1; Psalm 116:16
  28. 29 Song of Songs 6:8–9; Ephesians 5:27
  29. 30 Proverbs 1:7; 1 Peter 3:4–5; Proverbs 11:22; Proverbs 8:13; 1 Peter 1:24
  30. 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).

  1. Quotes verse 31:26 Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on the Gospel of John (Chapter I — 32, 33)

    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)