² What, my son? and what, O son of my womb?
And what, O son of my vows?
³ Give not thy strength unto women,
Nor thy ways to ^[c]that which destroyeth kings.
⁴ It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
Nor for princes ^[d]to say, Where is strong drink?
⁵ Lest they drink, and forget ^[e]the law,
And pervert the justice due to ^[f]any that is afflicted.
⁶ Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine unto the bitter in soul:
⁷ Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.
⁸ Open thy mouth for the dumb,
In the cause of all such as are ^[g]left desolate.
⁹ Open thy mouth, judge righteously,
And minister justice to the poor and needy.

¹⁰ A worthy woman who can find?
For her price is far above rubies.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusteth in her,
And he shall have no lack of ^[h]gain.
¹² She doeth him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
¹³ She seeketh wool and flax,
And worketh ^[i]willingly with her hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant-ships;
She bringeth her bread from afar.
¹⁵ She riseth also while it is yet night,
And giveth food to her household,
And their ^[j]task to her maidens.
¹⁶ She considereth a field, and buyeth it;
With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
¹⁷ She girdeth her loins with strength,
And maketh strong her arms.
¹⁸ She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable;
Her lamp goeth not out by night.
¹⁹ She layeth her hands to the distaff,
And her ^[k]hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She stretcheth out her ^[l]hand to the poor;
Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
²² She maketh for herself ^[m]carpets of tapestry;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sitteth among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She maketh linen garments and selleth them,
And delivereth girdles unto the ^[n]merchant.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing;
And she laugheth at the time to come.
²⁶ She openeth her mouth with wisdom;
And the ^[o]law of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looketh well to the ways of her household,
And eateth not the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up, and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying:
²⁹ Many daughters have done worthily,
But thou excellest them all.
³⁰ Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain;
But a woman that feareth Jehovah, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands;
And let her works praise her in the gates.