FBCL | King Lemuel’s Mother

The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

²  What, my son? and what, the son of my womb?

And what, the son of my vows?

³  Give not thy strength unto women,

Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

⁴  It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;

Nor for princes strong drink:

⁵  Lest they drink, and forget the law,

And pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

⁶  Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,

And wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

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 appointed to destruction.

⁹  Open thy mouth, judge righteously,

And ^pplead the cause of the poor and needy.

¹⁰  Who can find a virtuous woman?

For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹  The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her,

So that he shall have no need of spoil.

¹²  She will do him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

¹³  She seeketh wool, and flax,

And worketh willingly with her hands.

¹⁴  She is like the merchants’ ships;

She bringeth her food from afar.

¹⁵  She riseth also while it is yet night,

And giveth meat to her household,

And a portion 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 strengtheneth her arms.

¹⁸  She perceiveth that her merchandise is good:

Her candle goeth not out by night.

¹⁹  She layeth her hands to the spindle,

And her hands hold the distaff.

²⁰  She stretcheth out her 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 ^hscarlet.

²²  She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;

Her clothing is silk and purple.

²³  Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sitteth among the elders of the land.

²⁴  She maketh fine linen, and selleth it;

And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

²⁵  Strength and honour are her clothing;

And she shall rejoice in time to come.

²⁶  She openeth her mouth with wisdom;

And in her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷  She looketh well to the ways of her household,

And eateth not the bread of idleness.

²⁸  Her children arise up, and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praiseth her.

²⁹  Many daughters have done virtuously,

But thou excellest them all.

³⁰  Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:

But a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹  Give her of the fruit of her hands;

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 31:1–31.

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 30:1.

These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Pr 25:1.