Proverbs · Young's Literal Translation
Proverbs 31 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:
1 The words of King Lemuel—the revelation which his mother taught him:
2 'What, my son? and what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?
2 “Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!
3 Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.
3 Don’t give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 Not for kings, O Lemuel, Not for kings, to drink wine, And for princes a desire of 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 he drink, and forget the decree, And change the judgment of any of the sons of affliction.
5 lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the 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 He drinketh, and forgetteth his poverty, And his misery he remembereth not again.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, For the right of all sons of change.
8 Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, Both the cause of the poor and needy!'
9 Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”
10 A woman of worth who doth find? Yea, far above rubies [is] her price.
10 Who can find a worthy woman? For her value is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband hath trusted in her, And spoil he lacketh not.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.
12 She hath done him good, and not evil, All days of her life.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She hath sought wool and flax, And with delight she worketh [with] her hands.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.
14 She hath been as ships of the merchant, From afar she bringeth in her bread.
14 She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.
15 Yea, she riseth while yet night, And giveth food to her household, And a portion to her damsels.
15 She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.
16 She hath considered a field, and taketh it, From the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.
16 She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.
17 She hath girded with might her loins, And doth strengthen her arms.
17 She arms her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.
18 She hath perceived when her merchandise [is] good, Her lamp is not extinguished in the night.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn’t go out by night.
19 Her hands she hath sent forth on a spindle, And her hands have held a distaff.
19 She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.
20 Her hand she hath spread forth to the poor, Yea, her hands she sent forth to the needy.
20 She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of her household from snow, For all her household are clothed [with] scarlet.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
22 She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Known in the gates is her husband, In his sitting with elders of the land.
23 Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 Linen garments she hath made, and selleth, And a girdle she hath given to the merchant.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and honour [are] her clothing, And she rejoiceth at a latter day.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.
26 Her mouth she hath opened in wisdom, And the law of kindness [is] on her tongue.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom. Kind instruction is on her tongue.
27 She [is] watching the ways of her household, And bread of sloth she eateth not.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn’t eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her sons have risen up, and pronounce her happy, Her husband, and he praiseth her,
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:
29 'Many [are] the daughters who have done worthily, Thou hast gone up above them all.'
29 “Many women do noble things, but you excel them all.”
30 The grace [is] false, and the beauty [is] vain, A woman fearing Jehovah, she may boast herself.
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.
31 Give ye to her of the fruit of her hands, And her works do praise her in 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)