qSee Ruth 4:1, 2
Proverbs 31:10-31
The Woman Who Fears the Lord
10 ▼▼Verses 10–31 are an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet
bAn excellent wife who can find?She is far more precious than cjewels.
11The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13She dseeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15She erises while it is yet night
and fprovides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17She gdresses herself ▼
▼Hebrew She girds her loins
with strengthand makes her arms strong.
18She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20She iopens her hand to jthe poor
and reaches out her hands to kthe needy.
21She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in lscarlet. ▼
▼Or in double thickness
22She makes nbed coverings for herself;
her clothing is ofine linen and ppurple.
23Her husband is known in qthe gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24She makes rlinen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 sStrength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29“Many twomen have done uexcellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 vCharm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
Copyright information for
ESV