1 THE WORDS OF KING LEMUEL: The prophecie which his mother taught him. 2 What my sonne! and what ye sonne of my wombe! and what, O sonne of my desires! 3 Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings. 4 It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for Kings to drink wine nor for princes strog drinke, 5 Lest he drinke and forget the decree, and change the iudgement of all the children of affliction. 6 Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart. 7 Let him drinke, that he may forget his pouertie, and remember his miserie no more. 8 Open thy mouth for the domme in the cause of all the children of destruction. 9 Open thy mouth: iudge righteously, and iudge the afflicted, and the poore. 10 Who shall finde a vertuous woman? for her price is farre aboue the pearles. 11 The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall haue no neede of spoyle. 12 She will doe him good, and not euill all the dayes of her life. 13 She seeketh wooll and flaxe, and laboureth cheerefully with her handes. 14 She is like the shippes of marchants: shee bringeth her foode from afarre. 15 And she riseth, whiles it is yet night: and giueth the portion to her houshold, and the ordinarie to her maides. 16 She considereth a field, and getteth it: and with the fruite of her handes she planteth a vineyarde. 17 She girdeth her loynes with strength, and strengtheneth her armes. 18 She feeleth that her marchandise is good: her candle is not put out by night. 19 She putteth her handes to the wherue, and her handes handle the spindle. 20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poore, and putteth foorth her hands to the needie. 21 She feareth not the snowe for her familie: for all her familie is clothed with skarlet. 22 She maketh her selfe carpets: fine linen and purple is her garment. 23 Her husband is knowen in the gates, when he sitteth with the Elders of the land. 24 She maketh sheetes, and selleth them, and giueth girdels vnto the marchant. 25 Strength and honour is her clothing, and in the latter day she shall reioyce. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdome, and the lawe of grace is in her tongue. 27 She ouerseeth the wayes of her housholde, and eateth not the bread of ydlenes. 28 Her children rise vp, and call her blessed: her husband also shall prayse her, saying, 29 Many daughters haue done vertuously: but thou surmountest them all. 30 Fauour is deceitfull, and beautie is vanitie: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praysed. 31 Giue her of the fruite of her hands, and let her owne workes prayse her in the gates.
Proverbs · Geneva Bible (1599)
Proverbs 31 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
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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)