Proverbs · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Proverbs 31 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
10 Γυναῖκα ἀνδρείαν τίς εὑρήσει; τιμιωτέρα δέ ἐστι λίθων πολυτελῶν ἡ τοιαύτη.
1 The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him: 2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows! 3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings. 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 the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted. 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. 8 Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate. 9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.” 10 Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 Θαρσεῖ ἐπʼ αὐτῇ ἡ καρδία τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς· ἡ τοιαύτη καλῶν σκύλων οὐκ ἀπορήσει.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 Ἐνεργεῖ γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ εἰς ἀγαθὰ πάντα τὸν βίον.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 Μηρυομένη ἔρια καὶ λινὸν, ἐποίησεν εὔχρηστον ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῆς.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 Ἐγένετο ὡσεὶ ναῦς ἐμπορευομένη μακρόθεν, συνάγει δὲ αὕτη τὸν βίον.
14 She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 Καὶ ἀνίσταται ἐκ νυκτῶν, καὶ ἔδωκε βρώματα τῷ οἴκῳ, καὶ ἔργα ταῖς θεραπαίναις.
15 She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 Θεωρήσασα γεώργιον ἐπρίατο, ἀπὸ δὲ καρπῶν χειρῶν αὐτῆς κατεφύτευσεν κτῆμα.
16 She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 Ἀναζωσαμένη ἰσχυρῶς τὴν ὀσφῦν αὐτῆς ἤρεισε τοὺς βραχίονας αὐτῆς εἰς ἔργον.
17 She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 Καὶ ἐγεύσατο ὅτι καλόν ἐστι τὸ ἐργάζεσθαι, καὶ οὐκ ἀποσβέννυται ὁ λύχνος αὐτῆς ὅλην τὴν νύκτα.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 τοὺς πήχεις αὐτῆς ἐκτείνει ἐπὶ τὰ συμφέροντα, τὰς δὲ χεῖρας αὐτῆς ἐρείδει εἰς ἄτρακτον.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 Χεῖρας δὲ αὐτῆς διήνοιξε πένητι, καρπὸν δὲ ἐξέτεινεν πτωχῷ.
20 She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 Οὐ φροντίζει τῶν ἐν οἴκῳ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ὅταν που χρονίζῃ, πάντες γὰρ οἱ παρʼ αὐτῆς ἐνδεδυμένοι εἰαί.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 Δισσὰς χλαίνας ἐποίησε τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς, ἐκ δὲ βύσσου καὶ πορφύρας ἑαυτῇ ἐνδύματα.
22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Περίβλεπτος δὲ γίνεται ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ἐν πύλαις, ἡνίκα ἂν καθίσῃ ἐν συνεδρίῳ μετὰ τῶν γερόντων κατοίκων τῆς γῆς.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 Σινδόνας ἐποίησε καὶ ἀπέδοτο περιζώματα τοῖς Χαναναίοις. στόμα αὐτῆς διήνοιξε προσεχόντως καὶ ἐννόμως, καὶ τάξιν ἐστείλατο τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῆς.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Ἰσχὺν καὶ εὐπρέπειαν ἐνεδύσατο, καὶ εὐφράνθη ἐν ἡμέραις ἐσχάταις.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 Στεγναὶ διατριβαὶ οἴκων αὐτῆς, σῖτα δὲ ὀκνηρὰ οὐκ ἔφαγεν.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 Τὸ στόμα δὲ ἀνοίγει σοφῶς καὶ νομοθέσμως. Ἡ δὲ ἐλεημοσύνη αὐτῆς
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 ἀνέστησε τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς καὶ ἐπλούτησαν, καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς ᾔνεσεν αὐτήν.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29 Πολλαὶ θυγατέρες ἐκτήσαντο πλοῦτον, πολλαὶ ἐποίησαν δύναμιν· σὺ δὲ ὑπέρκεισαι, ὑπερῇρας πάσας.
29 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 Ψευδεῖς ἀρέσκειαι, καὶ μάταιον κάλλος γυναικος· γυνὴ γὰρ συνετὴ εὐλογεῖται, φόβον δὲ Κυρίου αὕτη αἰνείτω.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Δότε αὐτῇ ἀπὸ καρπῶν χειλέων αὐτῆς, καὶ αἰνείσθω ἐν πύλαις ὁ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς.
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 (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 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)