Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, October 3rd, 2024
the Week of Proper 21 / Ordinary 26
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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Proverbs 31:3

do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Chastity;   Young Men;   Thompson Chain Reference - Woman;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Chastity;   Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Proverb, the Book of;   Woman;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agur;   Lemuel;   Proverbs, the Book of;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   Sex, Biblical Teaching on;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Ethics;   Lemuel;   Marriage;   Massa;   Proverbs, Book of;   Song of Songs;   Trade and Commerce;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lemuel ;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Lem'uel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Chastity;  

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
Do not give your excellence to women,Or your ways to that which blots out kings.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Geue not ouer thy strength & wayes vnto women, which are the destruction euen of kynges.
Darby Translation
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to them that destroy kings.
New King James Version
Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
Literal Translation
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which wipes out kings.
Easy-to-Read Version
Don't waste your strength on women. Women destroy kings, so don't waste yourself on them.
World English Bible
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
King James Version (1611)
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes to that which destroyeth kings.
King James Version
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
geue not ouer thy substaunce & mynde vnto women, which are the destruccio eue of kynges.
Amplified Bible
Do not give your [generative] strength to women [neither foreign wives in marriages of alliances, nor concubines], Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
American Standard Version
Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Bible in Basic English
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which is the destruction of kings.
Update Bible Version
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to [those women who] destroy kings.
Webster's Bible Translation
Give not thy strength to women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
New English Translation
Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which ruins kings.
Contemporary English Version
Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings.
Complete Jewish Bible
Don't give your strength to women or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue not thy strength vnto women, nor thy wayes, which is to destroy Kings.
George Lamsa Translation
Give not your strength to women, nor your ways to the extravagance of kings.
Hebrew Names Version
Don't give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
New Life Bible
Do not give your strength to women, or your ways to that which destroys kings.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices: but he that keeps harlots will waste wealth.
English Revised Version
Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
Berean Standard Bible
Do not spend your strength on women or your vigor on those who ruin kings.
New Revised Standard
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Do not give, to women, thy strength, nor thy ways, to them who ruin kings.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.
Lexham English Bible
Do not give your strength to the women, and your ways to destroy kings.
English Standard Version
Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
New American Standard Bible
Do not give your strength to women, Or your ways to that which destroys kings.
New Century Version
Don't waste your strength on women or your time on those who ruin kings.
Good News Translation
Don't spend all your energy on sex and all your money on women; they have destroyed kings.
Christian Standard Bible®
Don't spend your energy on women or your efforts on those who destroy kings.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue thou not thi catel to wymmen, and thi richessis to do awei kyngis.
Revised Standard Version
Give not your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.
Young's Literal Translation
Give not to women thy strength, And thy ways to wiping away of kings.

Contextual Overview

1 The sayings of King Lemuel contain this message, which his mother taught him. 2 O my son, O son of my womb, O son of my vows, 3 do not waste your strength on women, on those who ruin kings. 4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine. Rulers should not crave alcohol. 5 For if they drink, they may forget the law and not give justice to the oppressed. 6 Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress. 7 Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more. 8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

strength: Proverbs 5:9-11, Proverbs 7:26, Proverbs 7:27, Hosea 4:11

to that: Deuteronomy 17:17, Nehemiah 13:26

Reciprocal: Proverbs 5:10 - wealth Acts 24:25 - temperance

Cross-References

Genesis 13:15
I am giving all this land, as far as you can see, to you and your descendants as a permanent possession.
Genesis 21:22
About this time, Abimelech came with Phicol, his army commander, to visit Abraham. "God is obviously with you, helping you in everything you do," Abimelech said.
Genesis 26:24
where the Lord appeared to him on the night of his arrival. "I am the God of your father, Abraham," he said. "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you. I will multiply your descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will do this because of my promise to Abraham, my servant."
Genesis 28:4
May God pass on to you and your descendants the blessings he promised to Abraham. May you own this land where you are now living as a foreigner, for God gave this land to Abraham."
Genesis 28:13
At the top of the stairway stood the Lord , and he said, "I am the Lord , the God of your grandfather Abraham, and the God of your father, Isaac. The ground you are lying on belongs to you. I am giving it to you and your descendants.
Genesis 30:25
Soon after Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Please release me so I can go home to my own country.
Genesis 31:2
And Jacob began to notice a change in Laban's attitude toward him.
Genesis 31:3
Then the Lord said to Jacob, "Return to the land of your father and grandfather and to your relatives there, and I will be with you."
Genesis 31:5
He said to them, "I have noticed that your father's attitude toward me has changed. But the God of my father has been with me.
Genesis 31:13
I am the God who appeared to you at Bethel, the place where you anointed the pillar of stone and made your vow to me. Now get ready and leave this country and return to the land of your birth.'"

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give not thy strength unto women,.... Strength of body, which is weakened by an excessive use of venery b with a multiplicity of women; see, Proverbs 5:9; and strength of mind, reason, and wisdom, which is impaired by conversation with such persons; whereby time is consumed and lost, which should be spent in the improvement of knowledge: or "thy riches", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions, thy substance, which harlots devour, and who bring a man to a piece of bread, as the prodigal was, Proverbs 6:26; and even drain the coffers of kings and princes;

nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings; do not give thy mind to take such courses, and pursue such ways and methods, as bring ruin on kings and kingdoms, as conversation with harlots does; see Proverbs 7:26. Some think the design of this advice is to warn against any ambitious views of enlarging his dominions by invading neighbouring countries, and making war with neighbouring kings, to the ruin of them; but the former sense seems best. The Targum is,

"nor thy ways to the daughters of kings.''

Solomon was given to women, who proved very pernicious to him,

1 Kings 11:1. Some render it, "which destroyeth counsel" c; for whoredom weakens the mind as well as the body.

b "Venus enervat vireis", Avienus. c Don Joseph apud Schindler. col. 990.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To that which destroyeth - The temptations of the harem were then, as now, the curse of all Eastern kingdoms.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:3. Give not thy strength — Do not waste thy substance on women. In such intercourse the strength of body, soul and substance is destroyed. Such connections are those which destroy kings, מלכין melachin, the Chaldee termination instead of the Hebrew.


 
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