Proverbs 31 — TOJB

31Verse 1The devarim of Lemuel Melech,
the massa (burden, oracle) that immo taught him.^{Verse 2}What, my bar (son)?⁺And what, the bar of my womb?
And what, the bar of my nedarim (vows)?
^{Verse 3}Give not thy strength unto nashim,
nor thy drakhim to that which destroyeth melachim.
^{Verse 4}It is not for melachim, O Lemuel,
it is not for melachim to drink yayin;
nor for rulers to crave strong drink;
^{Verse 5}Lest they drink, and forget the decree,
and pervert the justice of the bnei oni (all the oppressed afflicted people).
^{Verse 6}Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
and yayin unto those that be of bitter nefesh.
^{Verse 7}Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
and remember his amal (misery) no more.
^{Verse 8}Open thy peh (mouth) for the illem (mute)
in the cause of all such as are bnei chalof (sons of destitution).
^{Verse 9}Open thy peh (mouth), judge tzedek,
and plead the cause of the oni and the evyon.^{Verse 10}Who can find an aishes chayil (a woman of valor, an excellent wife)?⁺
For her worth is far above rubies.
^{Verse 11}The lev of her ba'al (husband) doth securely trust in her,
so that he shall have no lack of gain.
^{Verse 12}She will do him tov and not rah
all the days of her life.
^{Verse 13}She seeketh tzemer (wool), and flax,
and worketh willingly with her palms.
^{Verse 14}She is like the oniyyot socher (ship merchant);
she bringeth her lechem from afar.
^{Verse 15}She riseth also while it is yet lailah,
and provideth food to her bais,
and a chok (portion) to her na'arot (servant girls).
^{Verse 16}She considereth a sadeh, and buyeth it;
with the fruit of her palms she planteth a kerem (vineyard).
^{Verse 17}She girdeth her loins with strength,
and strengtheneth her zero'ot (arms).
^{Verse 18}She perceiveth that her merchandise is tov;
her ner (light) goeth not out balailah.
^{Verse 19}She layeth her yadayim to the distaff,
and her fingers lay hold of the spindle.
^{Verse 20}She extends her palms to the oni;
indeed, she reacheth forth her yadayim to the evyon (needy).
^{Verse 21}She is not afraid of the sheleg (snow) for her bais;
for all her bais are clothed with scarlet.
^{Verse 22}She maketh herself coverings of tapestry;
her levush (clothing) is fine linen and purple.
^{Verse 23}Her ba'al (husband) is known in the she'arim,
when he sitteth among the ziknei eretz.
^{Verse 24}She maketh fine garments, and selleth them;
and delivereth sashes unto the kena'ani (merchant).
^{Verse 25}Oz (strength) and hadar (dignity) are her clothing;
and her smile is toward the yom acharon (coming day, future).
^{Verse 26}She openeth her peh (mouth) with chochmah;
and on her lashon is the torat chesed (teaching of kindness).
^{Verse 27}She watcheth well over the halichot (goings, ways) of her bais (household),
and eateth not the lechem atzlut (bread of idleness).
^{Verse 28}Her banim rise up, and call her blessed;
her ba'al (husband) also, and he praiseth her.
^{Verse 29}Rabbot banot have done virtuously,
but thou excellest them all.
^{Verse 30}Chen (charm) is sheker (deceitful), and yofi (beauty) is fleeting;
but an isha Yirat Hashem(a G-d fearing wife), she shall be praised.
^{Verse 31}Give her of the p'ri (fruit) of her yadayim;
and let her own ma'asim praise her in the she'arim.