Proverbs 31 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Verba Lamuelis regis. Visio qua erudivit eum mater sua.
1 The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2 [Quid, dilecte mi? quid, dilecte uteri mei? quid, dilecte votorum meorum?
2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3 Ne dederis mulieribus substantiam tuam, et divitias tuas ad delendos reges.
3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 Noli regibus, o Lamuel, noli regibus dare vinum, quia nullum secretum est ubi regnat ebrietas;
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 et ne forte bibant, et obliviscantur judiciorum, et mutent causam filiorum pauperis.
5 lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6 Date siceram mœrentibus, et vinum his qui amaro sunt animo.
6 Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish, and wine to the bitter in soul.
7 Bibant, et obliviscantur egestatis suæ, et doloris sui non recordentur amplius.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Aperi os tuum muto, et causis omnium filiorum qui pertranseunt.
8 Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9 Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et pauperem.]
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10 [Mulierem fortem quis inveniet? procul et de ultimis finibus pretium ejus.
10 Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 Confidit in ea cor viri sui, et spoliis non indigebit.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 Reddet ei bonum, et non malum, omnibus diebus vitæ suæ.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 Quæsivit lanam et linum, et operata est consilia manuum suarum.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 Facta est quasi navis institoris, de longe portans panem suum.
14 She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 Et de nocte surrexit, deditque prædam domesticis suis, et cibaria ancillis suis.
15 She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 Consideravit agrum, et emit eum; de fructu manuum suarum plantavit vineam.
16 She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 Accinxit fortitudine lumbos suos, et roboravit brachium suum.
17 She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 Gustavit, et vidit quia bona est negotiatio ejus; non extinguetur in nocte lucerna ejus.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 Manum suam misit ad fortia, et digiti ejus apprehenderunt fusum.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 Manum suam aperuit inopi, et palmas suas extendit ad pauperem.
20 She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 Non timebit domui suæ a frigoribus nivis; omnes enim domestici ejus vestiti sunt duplicibus.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 Stragulatam vestem fecit sibi; byssus et purpura indumentum ejus.
22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Nobilis in portis vir ejus, quando sederit cum senatoribus terræ.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 Sindonem fecit, et vendidit, et cingulum tradidit Chananæo.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Fortitudo et decor indumentum ejus, et ridebit in die novissimo.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 Os suum aperuit sapientiæ, et lex clementiæ in lingua ejus.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 Consideravit semitas domus suæ, et panem otiosa non comedit.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 Surrexerunt filii ejus, et beatissimam prædicaverunt; vir ejus, et laudavit eam.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29 Multæ filiæ congregaverunt divitias; tu supergressa es universas.
29 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 Fallax gratia, et vana est pulchritudo: mulier timens Dominum, ipsa laudabitur.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Date ei de fructu manuum suarum, et laudent eam in portis opera ejus.]
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)