1 דברי למואל מלך משא אשר יסרתו אמו | 1 The words of king Lamuel. The vision by which his mother instructed him: |
2 מה ברי ומה בר בטני ומה בר נדרי | 2 “What, O my beloved? What, O beloved of my womb? What, O beloved of my vows? |
3 אל תתן לנשים חילך ודרכיך למחות מלכין | 3 Do not give your substance to women, or your riches to overthrow kings. |
4 אל למלכים למואל אל למלכים שתו יין ולרוזנים או שכר | 4 Not to kings, O Lamuel, not to kings give wine. For there are no secrets where drunkenness reigns. |
5 פן ישתה וישכח מחקק וישנה דין כל בני עני | 5 And perhaps they may drink and forget judgments, and alter the case of the sons of the poor. |
6 תנו שכר לאובד ויין למרי נפש | 6 Give strong drink to the grieving, and wine to those who are bitter in soul. |
7 ישתה וישכח רישו ועמלו לא יזכר עוד | 7 Let them drink, and forget their needs, and remember their sorrow no more. |
8 פתח פיך לאלם אל דין כל בני חלוף | 8 Open your mouth for the mute and for all the cases of the sons who are passing through. |
9 פתח פיך שפט צדק ודין עני ואביון | 9 Open your mouth, declare what is just, and do justice to the indigent and the poor. |
10 אשת חיל מי ימצא ורחק מפנינים מכרה | 10 Who shall find a strong woman? Far away, and from the furthest parts, is her price. |
11 בטח בה לב בעלה ושלל לא יחסר | 11 The heart of her husband confides in her, and he will not be deprived of spoils. |
12 גמלתהו טוב ולא רע כל ימי חייה | 12 She will repay him with good, and not evil, all the days of her life. |
13 דרשה צמר ופשתים ותעש בחפץ כפיה | 13 She has sought wool and flax, and she has worked these by the counsel of her hands. |
14 היתה כאניות סוחר ממרחק תביא לחמה | 14 She has become like a merchant’s ship, bringing her bread from far away. |
15 ותקם בעוד לילה ותתן טרף לביתה וחק לנערתיה | 15 And she has risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and provisions to her maids. |
16 זממה שדה ותקחהו מפרי כפיה נטע כרם | 16 She has considered a field and bought it. From the fruit of her own hands, she has planted a vineyard. |
17 חגרה בעוז מתניה ותאמץ זרעותיה | 17 She has wrapped her waist with fortitude, and she has strengthened her arm. |
18 טעמה כי טוב סחרה לא יכבה בליל נרה | 18 She has tasted and seen that her tasks are good; her lamp shall not be extinguished at night. |
19 ידיה שלחה בכישור וכפיה תמכו פלך | 19 She has put her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle. |
20 כפה פרשה לעני וידיה שלחה לאביון | 20 She has opened her hand to the needy, and she has extended her hands to the poor. |
21 לא תירא לביתה משלג כי כל ביתה לבש שנים | 21 She shall not fear, in the cold of snow, for her household. For all those of her household have been clothed two-fold. |
22 מרבדים עשתה לה שש וארגמן לבושה | 22 She has made embroidered clothing for herself. Fine linen and purple is her garment. |
23 נודע בשערים בעלה בשבתו עם זקני ארץ | 23 Her husband is noble at the gates, when he sits among the senators of the land. |
24 סדין עשתה ותמכר וחגור נתנה לכנעני | 24 She has made finely woven cloth and sold it, and she has delivered a waistband to the Canaanite. |
25 עז והדר לבושה ותשחק ליום אחרון | 25 Strength and elegance are her clothing, and she will laugh in the final days. |
26 פיה פתחה בחכמה ותורת חסד על לשונה | 26 She has opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue. |
27 צופיה הליכות ביתה ולחם עצלות לא תאכל | 27 She has considered the paths of her household, and she has not eaten her bread in idleness. |
28 קמו בניה ויאשרוה בעלה ויהללה | 28 Her sons rose up and predicted great happiness; her husband rose up and praised her. |
29 רבות בנות עשו חיל ואת עלית על כלנה | 29 Many daughters have gathered together riches; you have surpassed them all. |
30 שקר החן והבל היפי אשה יראת יהוה היא תתהלל | 30 Charm is false, and beauty is vain. The woman who fears the Lord, the same shall be praised. |
31 תנו לה מפרי ידיה ויהללוה בשערים מעשיה | 31 Give to her from the fruit of her own hands. And let her works praise her at the gates. |