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A Mother's Oracle

¹ The words of King Lemuel, the ^(F1)oracle unto which his mother disciplined him:

² What, O my son?
And what, O ^(C1)son of my womb?
And what, O son of my ^(C2)vows?

^3 (C1)Do not give your excellence to women,
Or your ways to that which ^(C2)blots out kings.

⁴ It is not for ^(C1)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to ^(C2)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

⁵ Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^(C1)pervert the justice of all the ^(F1)afflicted.

⁶ Give strong drink to him who is ^(C1)perishing,
And wine to those ^(C2)whose soul is bitter.

⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty
And he will not remember his trouble any longer.

^8 (C1)Open your mouth for the mute,
For the justice of all those ^(F1)passing away.

⁹ Open your mouth, ^(C1)judge righteously,
And render ^(C2)justice to the afflicted and needy.

A Woman Who Fears Yahweh

^10 (F1)An ^(C1)excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far ^(C2)above pearls.

¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.

¹² She deals bountifully with him for good and not evil
All the days of her life.

¹³ She searches for wool and flax
And works with her ^(F1)hands ^(F2)in delight.

¹⁴ She is like ^(C1)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.

¹⁵ And she ^(C1)rises while it is still night,
And ^(C2)gives ^(F1)food to her household
And a ^(F2)portion to her young women.

¹⁶ She makes plans for a field and buys it;
From the fruit of her ^(F1)hands she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She ^(C1)girds ^(F1)herself with strength
And makes her arms strong.

¹⁸ She senses that her gain is good;
Her lamp does not go out at night.

¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her ^(F1)hands hold fast the spindle.

²⁰ She ^(F1)(C1)extends her hand to the poor,
And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
For all her household are ^(C1)clothed with scarlet.

²² She makes ^(C1)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is ^(C2)fine linen and ^(C3)purple.

²³ Her husband is known ^(C1)in the gates,
When he sits with the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes ^(C1)linen garments and sells them,
And gives belts to the ^(F1)tradesmen.

²⁵ Strength and ^(C1)majesty are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ^(F1)future.

²⁶ She ^(C1)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ^(F1)instruction of lovingkindness is on her tongue.

²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the ^(C1)bread of ^(F1)idleness.

²⁸ Her children rise up and bless her;
As for her husband, he also praises her, saying:

²⁹ "Many daughters have done excellently,
But you have gone above them all."

^30 (F1)Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,
But a woman who ^(F2)(C1)fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

³¹ Give to her from the fruit of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.