² What, my son?
And what, ^(A)son of my womb?
And what, son of my ^(B)vows?
^3 (C)Do not give your strength to women,
Or your ways to that which ^(D)destroys kings.
⁴ It is not for ^(E)kings, Lemuel,
It is not for kings to ^(F)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire intoxicating drink,
⁵ Otherwise they will drink and forget what is decreed,
And ^(G)pervert the ^[a]rights of all the ^[b]needy.
⁶ Give intoxicating drink to one who is ^(H)perishing,
And wine to one ^[c](I)whose life is bitter.
⁷ Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his trouble no more.
^8 (J)Open your mouth for the people who cannot speak,
For the ^[d]rights of all the ^[e]unfortunate.
⁹ Open your mouth, ^(K)judge righteously,
And ^[f]defend the ^(L)rights of the poor and needy.

¹⁰ An ^(M)excellent wife, who can find her?
For her worth is far ^(N)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 ^[g]hands ^[h]in delight.
¹⁴ She is like ^(O)merchant ships;
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ And she ^(P)rises while it is still night
And ^(Q)gives food to her household,
And ^[i]portions to her attendants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
From ^[j]her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She ^(R)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 ^[k]distaff,
And her ^[l]hands grasp the spindle.
²⁰ She ^[m](S)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 ^(T)clothed with scarlet.
²² She makes ^(U)coverings for herself;
Her clothing is ^(V)fine linen and ^(W)purple.
²³ Her husband is known ^(X)in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes ^(Y)linen garments and sells them,
And ^[n]supplies belts to the ^[o]tradesmen.
²⁵ Strength and ^(Z)dignity are her clothing,
And she smiles at the ^[p]future.
²⁶ She ^(AA)opens her mouth in wisdom,
And the ^[q]teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the activities of her household,
And does not eat the ^(AB)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 ^[r](AC)fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹ Give her the ^[s]product of her hands,
And let her works praise her in the gates.