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The Words of Lemuel

¹ The words of King Lemuel, the pronouncement which his mother taught him:

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

^3 (C1)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which ^(C2)destroys kings.

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

⁵ Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^(C1)pervert the ^(F1)rights of all the ^(F2)needy.

⁶ Give intoxicating drink to one who is ^(C1)perishing,
And wine to one ^(F1)(C2)whose life is bitter.

⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.

^8 (C1)Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the ^(F1)rights of all the ^(F2)unfortunate.

⁹ Open your mouth, ^(C1)judge righteously,
And ^(F1)defend the ^(C2)rights of the poor and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

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

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

¹² She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.

¹³ She looks for wool and linen,
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 food to her household,
And ^(F1)portions to her attendants.

¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
From ^(F1)her earnings she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷ She ^(C1)surrounds her waist with strength
And makes her arms strong.

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

¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the ^(F1)distaff,
And her ^(F2)hands grasp 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 among the elders of the land.

²⁴ She makes ^(C1)linen garments and sells them,
And ^(F1)supplies belts to the ^(F2)tradesmen.

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

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

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

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

²⁹ "Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all."

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

³¹ Give her the ^(F1)product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.