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Proverbs 31

These are the words of King Lemuel, the message his mother taught him:
 “My son, I gave birth to you.
       You are the son I prayed for.

Don’t waste your strength on women
       or your time on those who ruin kings. 
“Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel,
       and rulers should not desire beer. 
If they drink, they might forget the law
       and keep the needy from getting their rights.

Give beer to people who are dying
       and wine to those who are sad.
Let them drink and forget their need
       and remember their misery no more. 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; defend the rights of all those who have nothing. 
Speak up and judge fairly, and defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

The Good Wife

It is hard to find a good wife,
       because she is worth more than rubies.

Her husband trusts her completely.
       With her, he has everything he needs.
She does him good and not harm
       for as long as she lives.
She looks for wool and flax
       and likes to work with her hands.

She is like a trader’s ship,
       bringing food from far away.

She gets up while it is still dark
       and prepares food for her family
       and feeds her servant girls.
She inspects a field and buys it.
       With money she earned, she plants a vineyard.
She does her work with energy,
       and her arms are strong.
She knows that what she makes is good.
       Her lamp burns late into the night.
She makes thread with her hands
       and weaves her own cloth.
She welcomes the poor
       and helps the needy.
She does not worry about her family when it snows,
because they all have fine clothes to keep them warm.
She makes coverings for herself;
her clothes are made of linen and other expensive material.
Her husband is known at the city meetings,
where he makes decisions as one of the leaders of the land.
She makes linen clothes and sells them
and provides belts to the merchants.

 She is strong and is respected by the people.
       She looks forward to the future with joy.
 She speaks wise words
       and teaches others to be kind.
 She watches over her family
       and never wastes her time.
 Her children speak well of her.
       Her husband also praises her,
 saying, “There are many fine women,
       but you are better than all of them.”
 Charm can fool you, and beauty can trick you,
       but a woman who respects the Lord should be praised. 
Give her the reward she has earned;
       she should be praised in public for what she has done.

New Century Version (NCV)The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Proverbs 30

These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh.

This is his message to Ithiel and Ucal: 
       I am the most stupid person there is,
       and I have no understanding.
I have not learned to be wise,
       and I don’t know much about God, the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? 
       Who can hold the wind in his hand? 
Who can gather up the waters in his coat?
       Who has set in place the ends of the earth? 
What is his name or his son’s name?
       Tell me, if you know! 

Every word of God is true. 
       He guards those who come to him for safety. 
Do not add to his words, 
       or he will correct you and prove you are a liar. 

I ask two things from you, Lord. 
       Don’t refuse me before I die.    
Keep me from lying and being dishonest. 
       And don’t make me either rich or poor; 
       just give me enough food for each day.
If I have too much, I might reject you 
       and say, ‘I don’t know the Lord.’ 
If I am poor, I might steal 
       and disgrace the name of my God. 

Do not say bad things about servants to their masters,
       or they will curse you, and you will suffer for it. 

Some people curse their fathers
       and do not bless their mothers. 
Some people think they are pure,
       but they are not really free from evil.
Some people have such a proud look!
       They look down on others.
Some people have teeth like swords;
       their jaws seem full of knives. 
They want to remove the poor from the earth
       and the needy from the land. 

Greed has two daughters
       named ‘Give’ and ‘Give.’ 
There are three things that are never satisfied,
       really four that never say, ‘I’ve had enough!’: 
       the cemetery, the childless mother,
       the land that never gets enough rain,
       and fire that never says, ‘I’ve had enough!’ 

If you make fun of your father
       and refuse to obey your mother, 
the birds of the valley will peck out your eyes,
       and the vultures will eat them. 

There are three things that are too hard for me,
       really four I don’t understand: 
the way an eagle flies in the sky,
       the way a snake slides over a rock, 
the way a ship sails on the sea,
       and the way a man and a woman fall in love. 

This is the way of a woman who takes part in adultery:
       She acts as if she had eaten and washed her face;
       she says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’ 

There are three things that make the earth tremble,
       really four it cannot stand: 
a servant who becomes a king,
       a foolish person who has plenty to eat,
a hated woman who gets married,
       and a maid who replaces her mistress. 

There are four things on earth that are small,
       but they are very wise: 
Ants are not very strong,
       but they store up food in the summer.
Rock badgers are not very powerful,
       but they can live among the rocks.
Locusts have no king,
       but they all go forward in formation.
Lizards can be caught in the hand,
       but they are found even in kings’ palaces. 

There are three things that strut proudly,
       really four that walk as if they were important: 
a lion, the proudest animal,
       which is strong and runs from nothing,
a rooster, a male goat,
       and a king when his army is around him. 

If you have been foolish and proud,
       or if you have planned evil, shut your mouth. 
Just as stirring milk makes butter,
       and twisting noses makes them bleed,
       so stirring up anger causes trouble.”