The Words of Lemuel

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

2What, O my son?
         And what, O son of my womb?
         And what, O son of my vows?

3Do not give your strength to women,
         Or your ways to that which destroys kings.

4It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
         It is not for kings to drink wine,
         Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

5For they will drink and forget what is decreed,
         And pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

6Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
         And wine to him whose life is bitter.

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

8Open your mouth for the mute,
         For the rights of all the unfortunate.

9Open your mouth, judge righteously,
         And defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Description of a Worthy Woman

10An excellent wife, who can find?
         For her worth is far above jewels.

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

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

13She looks for wool and flax
         And works with her hands in delight.

14She is like merchant ships;
         She brings her food from afar.

15She rises also while it is still night
         And gives food to her household
         And portions to her maidens.

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

17She girds herself with strength
         And makes her arms strong.

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

19She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
         And her hands grasp the spindle.

20She extends her hand to the poor,
         And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

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

22She makes coverings for herself;
         Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23Her husband is known in the gates,
         When he sits among the elders of the land.

24She makes linen garments and sells them,
         And supplies belts to the tradesmen.

25Strength and dignity are her clothing,
         And she smiles at the future.

26She opens her mouth in wisdom,
         And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27She looks well to the ways of her household,
         And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28Her 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.”

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

31Give her the product of her hands,
         And let her works praise her in the gates.

NASB ©1995

American Standard Version
The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.

Darby Bible Translation
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

English Revised Version
The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

Webster's Bible Translation
The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

World English Bible
The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

Young's Literal Translation
Words of Lemuel a king, a declaration that his mother taught him:The Gospel Cordial
A Sermon (No. 3236) published on Thursday, February 9th, 1911 delivered by C.H. Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington. on Lord's Day Evening, September 20th, 1863. "Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more."--Proverbs 31:6, 7. These somewhat singular sentences were spoken by the mother of Lemuel to her son, who was probably Solomon. She had already said to him, …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting.
There are divers kinds of fasting--First, A constrained fast, as when men either have not food to eat, as in the famine of Samaria (2 Kings vi. 25;) or, having food, cannot eat it for heaviness or sickness, as it befel them who were in the ship with St. Paul (Acts xxvii. 33.) This is rather famine than fasting. Secondly, A natural fast, which we undertake physically, for the health of our body. Thirdly, A civil fast, which the magistrate enjoins for the better maintenance of the commonwealth. Fourthly, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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