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Proverbs chapter 31 in Hebrew and English

31 verses, about 2 minutes to read aloud. The Hebrew has its vowel points and the English stands under each verse.

The whole chapter is here, a verse to a line.

דִּבְרֵי לְמוּאֵל מֶלֶךְ מַשָּׂא אֲשֶׁר־יִסְּרַתּוּ אִמּֽוֹ׃

The words of king Lemuel; the burden wherewith his mother corrected him.

מַה־בְּרִי וּמַה־בַּר־בִּטְנִי וּמֶה בַּר־נְדָרָֽי׃

What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? And what, O son of my vows?

אַל־תִּתֵּן לַנָּשִׁים חֵילֶךָ וּדְרָכֶיךָ לַמְחוֹת מְלָכִֽין׃

Give not thy strength unto women, Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

אַל לַמְלָכִים לְמוֹאֵל אַל לַמְלָכִים שְׁתוֹ־יָיִן וּלְרוֹזְנִים אֵי שֵׁכָֽר׃

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine: Nor for princes to say: ‘Where is strong drink?’

פֶּן־יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח מְחֻקָּק וִישַׁנֶּה דִּין כָּל־בְּנֵי־עֹֽנִי׃

Lest they drink, and forget that which is decreed, And pervert the justice due to any that is afflicted.

תְּנוּ־שֵׁכָר לְאוֹבֵד וְיַיִן לְמָרֵי נָֽפֶשׁ׃

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul;

יִשְׁתֶּה וְיִשְׁכַּח רִישׁוֹ וַעֲמָלוֹ לֹא יִזְכָּר־עֽוֹד׃

Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

פְּתַח־פִּיךָ לְאִלֵּם אֶל־דִּין כָּל־בְּנֵי חֲלֽוֹף׃

Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

פְּתַח־פִּיךָ שְׁפָט־צֶדֶק וְדִין עָנִי וְאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

אֵשֶׁת־חַיִל מִי יִמְצָא וְרָחֹק מִפְּנִינִים מִכְרָֽהּ׃

A woman of valour who can find? For her price is far above rubies.

בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ וְשָׁלָל לֹא יֶחְסָֽר׃

The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, and he hath no lack of gain.

גְּמָלַתְהוּ טוֹב וְלֹא־רָע כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּֽיה׃

She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life.

דָּרְשָׁה צֶמֶר וּפִשְׁתִּים וַתַּעַשׂ בְּחֵפֶץ כַּפֶּֽיהָ׃

She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

הָיְתָה כָּאֳנִיּוֹת סוֹחֵר מִמֶּרְחָק תָּבִיא לַחְמָֽהּ׃

She is like the merchant-ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

וַתָּקָם בְּעוֹד לַיְלָה וַתִּתֵּן טֶרֶף לְבֵיתָהּ וְחֹק לְנַעֲרֹתֶֽיהָ׃

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

זָמְמָה שָׂדֶה וַתִּקָּחֵהוּ מִפְּרִי כַפֶּיהָ נָטְעָה כָּֽרֶם׃

She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

חָגְרָה בְעוֹז מָתְנֶיהָ וַתְּאַמֵּץ זְרֹעוֹתֶֽיהָ׃

She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms.

טָעֲמָה כִּי־טוֹב סַחְרָהּ לֹא־יִכְבֶּה בַלַּיְלָה נֵרָֽהּ׃

She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; Her lamp goeth not out by night.

יָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה בַכִּישׁוֹר וְכַפֶּיהָ תָּמְכוּ פָֽלֶךְ׃

She layeth her hands to the distaff, And her hands hold the spindle.

כַּפָּהּ פָּרְשָׂה לֶעָנִי וְיָדֶיהָ שִׁלְּחָה לָֽאֶבְיֽוֹן׃

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

לֹא־תִירָא לְבֵיתָהּ מִשָּׁלֶג כִּי כָל־בֵּיתָהּ לָבֻשׁ שָׁנִֽים׃

She is not afraid of the snow for her household; For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

מַרְבַדִּים עָשְׂתָה־לָּהּ שֵׁשׁ וְאַרְגָּמָן לְבוּשָֽׁהּ׃

She maketh for herself coverlets; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ עִם־זִקְנֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃

Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land.

סָדִין עָשְׂתָה וַתִּמְכֹּר וַחֲגוֹר נָתְנָה לַֽכְּנַעֲנִֽי׃

She maketh linen garments and selleth them; And delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

עֹז־וְהָדָר לְבוּשָׁהּ וַתִּשְׂחַק לְיוֹם אַחֲרֽוֹן׃

Strength and dignity are her clothing; And she laugheth at the time to come.

פִּיהָ פָּתְחָה בְחָכְמָה וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל־לְשׁוֹנָֽהּ׃

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue.

צוֹפִיָּה הֲלִיכוֹת בֵּיתָהּ וְלֶחֶם עַצְלוּת לֹא תֹאכֵֽל׃

She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness.

קָמוּ בָנֶיהָ וַיְאַשְּׁרוּהָ בַּעְלָהּ וַֽיְהַֽלְלָהּ׃

Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her:

רַבּוֹת בָּנוֹת עָשׂוּ חָיִל וְאַתְּ עָלִית עַל־כֻּלָּֽנָה׃

’Many daughters have done valiantly, But thou excellest them all.’

שֶׁקֶר הַחֵן וְהֶבֶל הַיֹּפִי אִשָּׁה יִרְאַת־יְהוָה הִיא תִתְהַלָּֽל׃

Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

תְּנוּ־לָהּ מִפְּרִי יָדֶיהָ וִיהַלְלוּהָ בַשְּׁעָרִים מַעֲשֶֽׂיהָ׃

Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her works praise her in the gates.

The Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex, free to view and copy, compared letter by letter with a second edition, Miqra according to the Masorah, under the CC BY-SA licence. The English is the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, in the public domain.

Where this chapter stands in the Tanakh.

  • Chapter 31 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs
  • Proverbs is one of the Writings
  • 31 verses, 219 words, about 2 minutes to read

Proverbs has 31 chapters, and each one has its own page.

All of Proverbs·All the books of the Tanakh·Psalms and prayers

Questions about this chapter

How many verses does Proverbs chapter 31 have?

Proverbs chapter 31 has 31 verses and 219 words.

How does Proverbs chapter 31 begin?

The first verse begins in Hebrew with the words דברי למואל מלך משא.

Where does Proverbs chapter 31 stand in the Tanakh?

It is chapter 31 of the 31 chapters of Proverbs, which is one of the Writings.

How long does it take to read Proverbs chapter 31?

About 2 minutes, at a steady pace.