Proverbs 31
The chapter opens with the sayings of King Lemuel taught by his mother, warning against expending strength on women or excessive wine that impairs justice for the oppressed[1][3][5]. It then describes the **eshet chayil** (virtuous woman) as industrious, wise, generous to the poor, and praiseworthy for fearing YHWH rather than charm or beauty[1][2][4].
Interlinear Text
The words of Lemuel king the oracle which she disciplined him his mother
What my son And what son of my womb And what son of my vows
not give to women your strength nor your ways to those that destroy kings
3
אַל
𐤀𐤋
al
not
HTn
תִּתֵּ֣ן
𐤕𐤕𐤍
titen
give
HVqj2ms
לַ/נָּשִׁ֣ים
𐤋/𐤍𐤔𐤉𐤌
lanashim
to women
HRd/Ncfpa
חֵילֶ֑/ךָ
𐤇𐤉𐤋/𐤊
cheylekha
your strength
HNcmsc/Sp2ms
וּ֝/דְרָכֶ֗י/ךָ
𐤅/𐤃𐤓𐤊𐤉/𐤊
uderakheykha
nor your ways
HC/Ncbpc/Sp2ms
לַֽ/מְח֥וֹת
𐤋/𐤌𐤇𐤅𐤕
lamechot
to those that destroy
HR/Vhc
מְלָכִֽין
𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤍
melakhin
kings
HNcmpa
not for kings O Lemuel not for kings to drink wine or for rulers or where strong drink
4
אַ֤ל
𐤀𐤋
al
not
HTn
לַֽ/מְלָכִ֨ים
𐤋/𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤌
lamelakhim
for kings
HRd/Ncmpa
לְֽמוֹאֵ֗ל
𐤋𐤌𐤅𐤀𐤋
lemoel
O Lemuel
HNp
אַ֣ל
𐤀𐤋
al-2
not
HTn
לַֽ/מְלָכִ֣ים
𐤋/𐤌𐤋𐤊𐤉𐤌
lamelakhim-2
for kings
HRd/Ncmpa
שְׁתוֹ
𐤔𐤕𐤅
sheto
to drink
HVqc
יָ֑יִן
𐤉𐤉𐤍
yayin
wine
HNcmsa
וּ֝/לְ/רוֹזְנִ֗ים
𐤅/𐤋/𐤓𐤅𐤆𐤍𐤉𐤌
ulerozenim
or for rulers
HC/R/Vqrmpa
או
𐤀𐤅
v
or
HC
אֵ֣י
𐤀𐤉
ey
where
HTi
שֵׁכָֽר
𐤔𐤊𐤓
shekhar
strong drink
HNcmsa
lest he drink and forget what is decreed and pervert justice all sons of the afflicted
5
פֶּן
𐤐𐤍
pen
lest
HC
יִ֭שְׁתֶּה
𐤉𐤔𐤕𐤄
yisheteh
he drink
HVqi3ms
וְ/יִשְׁכַּ֣ח
𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤇
veyishekach
and forget
HC/Vqi3ms
מְחֻקָּ֑ק
𐤌𐤇𐤒𐤒
mechuqaq
what is decreed
HVPsmsa
וִֽ֝/ישַׁנֶּה
𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤍𐤄
vishaneh
and pervert
HC/Vpi3ms
דִּ֣ין
𐤃𐤉𐤍
din
justice
HNcmsc
כָּל
𐤊𐤋
kal
all
HNcmsc
בְּנֵי
𐤁𐤍𐤉
beney
Bene (Bemba)
sons of
HNcmpc
עֹֽנִי
𐤏𐤍𐤉
oni
the afflicted
HNcmsa
Give strong drink to him who is perishing and wine to those bitter of soul
let him drink and forget his poverty and his trouble not he will remember anymore
7
יִ֭שְׁתֶּה
𐤉𐤔𐤕𐤄
yisheteh
let him drink
HVqi3ms
וְ/יִשְׁכַּ֣ח
𐤅/𐤉𐤔𐤊𐤇
veyishekach
and forget
HC/Vqi3ms
רִישׁ֑/וֹ
𐤓𐤉𐤔/𐤅
risho
his poverty
HNcmsc/Sp3ms
וַ֝/עֲמָל֗/וֹ
𐤅/𐤏𐤌𐤋/𐤅
vaamalo
and his trouble
HC/Ncbsc/Sp3ms
לֹ֣א
𐤋𐤀
lo
not
HTn
יִזְכָּר
𐤉𐤆𐤊𐤓
yizekar
he will remember
HVqj3ms
עֽוֹד
𐤏𐤅𐤃
od
anymore
HD
Open your mouth for the mute for the rights all sons of the passing away
Open your mouth judge righteously and defend the afflicted and needy
woman valor who can find and far above pearls her price
trusts in her heart of her husband of gain not lacks
she does him good good and not evil all days her life
She seeks wool and flax and she works with delight her hands
she has become like ships (of a) merchant from afar she brings her food
and she rises while still night and she gives food to her household and portion to her maidens
15
וַ/תָּ֤קָם
𐤅/𐤕𐤒𐤌
vataqam
and she rises
HC/Vqw3fs
בְּ/ע֬וֹד
𐤁/𐤏𐤅𐤃
beod
while still
HR/D
לַ֗יְלָה
𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄
layelah
night
HNcmsa
וַ/תִּתֵּ֣ן
𐤅/𐤕𐤕𐤍
vatiten
and she gives
HC/Vqw3fs
טֶ֣רֶף
𐤈𐤓𐤐
teref
food
HNcmsa
לְ/בֵיתָ֑/הּ
𐤋/𐤁𐤉𐤕/𐤄
leveytah
to her household
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs
וְ֝/חֹ֗ק
𐤅/𐤇𐤒
vechoq
and portion
HC/Ncmsa
לְ/נַעֲרֹתֶֽי/הָ
𐤋/𐤍𐤏𐤓𐤕𐤉/𐤄
lenaaroteyha
to her maidens
HR/Ncfpc/Sp3fs
She considers a field and buys it from the fruit of her hands she plants she plants a vineyard
16
זָמְמָ֣ה
𐤆𐤌𐤌𐤄
zamemah
She considers
HVqp3fs
שָׂ֭דֶה
𐤔𐤃𐤄
sadeh
a field
HNcmsa
וַ/תִּקָּחֵ֑/הוּ
𐤅/𐤕𐤒𐤇/𐤄𐤅
vatiqachehu
and buys it
HC/Vqw3fs/Sp3ms
מִ/פְּרִ֥י
𐤌/𐤐𐤓𐤉
miperi
from the fruit
HR/Ncmsc
כַ֝פֶּ֗י/הָ
𐤊𐤐𐤉/𐤄
khapeyha
of her hands
HNcfdc/Sp3fs
נטע
𐤍𐤈𐤏
nt
she plants
HVqp3ms
נָ֣טְעָה
𐤍𐤈𐤏𐤄
nateah
she plants
HVqp3fs
כָּֽרֶם
𐤊𐤓𐤌
karem
a vineyard
HNcbsa
She girds with strength her loins and strengthens her arms
She perceives that good her merchandise not goes out by night at night her lamp
18
טָ֭עֲמָה
𐤈𐤏𐤌𐤄
taamah
She perceives
HVqp3fs
כִּי
𐤊𐤉
ki
that
HC
ט֣וֹב
𐤈𐤅𐤁
tov
good
HAamsa
סַחְרָ֑/הּ
𐤎𐤇𐤓/𐤄
sacherah
her merchandise
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
לֹֽא
𐤋𐤀
lo
not
HTn
יִכְבֶּ֖ה
𐤉𐤊𐤁𐤄
yikhebeh
goes out
HVqi3ms
ב/ליל
𐤁/𐤋𐤉𐤋
vlyl
by night
HRd/Ncmsa
בַ/לַּ֣יְלָה
𐤁/𐤋𐤉𐤋𐤄
valayelah
at night
HRd/Ncmsa
נֵרָֽ/הּ
𐤍𐤓/𐤄
nerah
her lamp
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
her hands she stretches out to the distaff and her palms grasp the spindle
her palm she stretches out to the poor and her hands she reaches forth to the needy
20
כַּ֭פָּ/הּ
𐤊𐤐/𐤄
kapah
her palm
HNcfsc/Sp3fs
פָּרְשָׂ֣ה
𐤐𐤓𐤔𐤄
paresah
she stretches out
HVqp3fs
לֶ/עָנִ֑י
𐤋/𐤏𐤍𐤉
leani
to the poor
HRd/Aamsa
וְ֝/יָדֶ֗י/הָ
𐤅/𐤉𐤃𐤉/𐤄
veyadeyha
and her hands
HC/Ncbdc/Sp3fs
שִׁלְּחָ֥ה
𐤔𐤋𐤇𐤄
shilechah
she reaches forth
HVpp3fs
לָֽ/אֶבְיֽוֹן
𐤋/𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤅𐤍
laeveyon
to the needy
HRd/Aamsa
not she is afraid for her household of snow for all her household are clothed with scarlet
21
לֹא
𐤋𐤀
lo
not
HTn
תִירָ֣א
𐤕𐤉𐤓𐤀
tira
she is afraid
HVqi3fs
לְ/בֵיתָ֣/הּ
𐤋/𐤁𐤉𐤕/𐤄
leveytah
for her household
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3fs
מִ/שָּׁ֑לֶג
𐤌/𐤔𐤋𐤂
mishaleg
of snow
HR/Ncmsa
כִּ֥י
𐤊𐤉
ki
for
HC
כָל
𐤊𐤋
khal
all
HNcmsc
בֵּ֝יתָ֗/הּ
𐤁𐤉𐤕/𐤄
beytah
her household
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
לָבֻ֥שׁ
𐤋𐤁𐤔
lavush
are clothed
HVqsmsa
שָׁנִֽים
𐤔𐤍𐤉𐤌
shanim
with scarlet
HNcmpa
coverings she has made for herself fine linen and purple her clothing
is known in the gates her husband when he sits with the elders of land
fine linen she makes and sells it and girdles she gives to the merchant
strength and honor are her clothing and she laughs at day last
her mouth she opens with wisdom and teaching of kindness on her tongue
She watches the ways of her household and bread of idleness not she eats
rise up her children and call her blessed her husband and he praises her
28
קָ֣מוּ
𐤒𐤌𐤅
qamu
rise up
HVqp3cp
בָ֭נֶי/הָ
𐤁𐤍𐤉/𐤄
vaneyha
Bene (Bemba)
her children
HNcmpc/Sp3fs
וַֽ/יְאַשְּׁר֑וּ/הָ
𐤅/𐤉𐤀𐤔𐤓𐤅/𐤄
vayeasheruha
and call her blessed
HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3fs
בַּ֝עְלָ֗/הּ
𐤁𐤏𐤋/𐤄
baelah
her husband
HNcmsc/Sp3fs
וַֽ/יְהַֽלְלָ/הּ
𐤅/𐤉𐤄𐤋𐤋/𐤄
vayehalelah
and he praises her
HC/Vpw3ms/Sp3fs
Many daughters have done virtuously but you surpass above all of them
deceitful charm and vain beauty woman who fears YHWH she shall be praised
30
שֶׁ֣קֶר
𐤔𐤒𐤓
sheqer
deceitful
HNcmsa
הַ֭/חֵן
𐤄/𐤇𐤍
hachen
charm
HTd/Ncmsa
וְ/הֶ֣בֶל
𐤅/𐤄𐤁𐤋
vehevel
and vain
HC/Ncmsa
הַ/יֹּ֑פִי
𐤄/𐤉𐤐𐤉
hayofi
beauty
HTd/Ncmsa
אִשָּׁ֥ה
𐤀𐤔𐤄
ishah
woman
HNcfsa
יִרְאַת
𐤉𐤓𐤀𐤕
yireat
who fears
HAafsc
יְ֝הוָ֗ה
𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄
yehvah
Nyambe (Lozi)
YHWH
HNp
הִ֣יא
𐤄𐤉𐤀
hi
she
HPp3fs
תִתְהַלָּֽל
𐤕𐤕𐤄𐤋𐤋
titehalal
shall be praised
HVti3fs
Give her of the fruit of her hands and let them praise her in the gates her works
31
תְּנוּ
𐤕𐤍𐤅
tenu
Give
HVqv2mp
לָ֭/הּ
𐤋/𐤄
lah
her
HR/Sp3fs
מִ/פְּרִ֣י
𐤌/𐤐𐤓𐤉
miperi
of the fruit
HR/Ncmsc
יָדֶ֑י/הָ
𐤉𐤃𐤉/𐤄
yadeyha
of her hands
HNcbdc/Sp3fs
וִֽ/יהַלְל֖וּ/הָ
𐤅/𐤉𐤄𐤋𐤋𐤅/𐤄
vihaleluha
and let them praise her
HC/Vpi3mp/Sp3fs
בַ/שְּׁעָרִ֣ים
𐤁/𐤔𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤌
vashearim
in the gates
HRd/Ncmpa
מַעֲשֶֽׂי/הָ
𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤉/𐤄
maaseyha
her works
HNcmpc/Sp3fs