Proverbios 31

1Palabras del rey Lamuel, de Masa, (sentencias) que le enseñó su madre.

2¿Qué, hijo mío, qué, hijo de mis entrañas, que, hijo de mis votos (te diré)?

3No des tu vigor a las mujeres, ni tu fuerza a las que son la ruina de los reyes.

4No conviene a los reyes, Lamuel; no conviene a los reyes beber vino, ni a los príncipes, tomar bebidas embriagantes.

5Si los toman se olvidan de la ley, y pervierten el derecho de los pobres.

6Dad los licores a los que perecen, y el vino a los amargos de espíritu.

7Beban y olviden su miseria, y no se acuerden más de sus penas.

8Abre tu boca en favor del mudo, en defensa de todos los desamparados.

9Abre tu boca para juzgar con justicia, y haz justicia al desvalido y al pobre.

10Una mujer fuerte, ¿quién podrá hallarla? Mucho mayor que de perlas es su precio.

11Confía en ella el corazón de su marido, el cual no tiene necesidad de tomar botín (a otros).

12Le hace siempre bien, y nunca mal, todos los días de su vida.

13Busca lana y lino y trabaja con la destreza de sus manos.

14Es como navío de mercader, trae de lejos su pan.

15Se levanta antes que amanezca, para distribuir la comida a su casa, y la tarea a sus criadas.

16Pone la mira en un campo y lo compra; con el fruto de sus manos planta una viña.

17Se ciñe de fortaleza, y arma de fuerza sus brazos.

18Ve gustosa las ricas ganancias; no se apaga su lámpara durante la noche.

19Aplica sus manos a la rueca; y sus dedos manejan el huso.

20Abre su mano al pobre, y la alarga al mendigo.

21No teme por su familia a causa de la nieve, pues todos los de su casa tienen vestidos forrados.

22Labra ella alfombras de fino lino; y púrpura es su vestido.

23Conocido en las puertas es su marido, cuando se sienta entre los senadores del país.

24Fabrica telas y las pone en venta, vende ceñidores al mercader.

25Fortaleza y gracia forman su traje, y está alegre ante el porvenir.

26Abre su boca con sabiduría, y la ley del amor gobierna su lengua.

27Vela sobre la conducta de su familia, y no come ociosa el pan.

28Álzanse sus hijos, y la llaman bendita. La ensalza también su marido:

29“Muchas hijas obraron proezas; pero tú superas a todas.”

30Engañosa es la belleza, y un soplo la hermosura. La mujer que teme a Yahvé, esa es digna de alabanza.

31Dadle del fruto de sus manos, y sus obras sean su alabanza ante el pueblo.

1Verba Lamuelis regis. Visio qua erudivit eum mater sua.

2[Quid, dilecte mi? quid, dilecte uteri mei? quid, dilecte votorum meorum?

3Ne dederis mulieribus substantiam tuam, et divitias tuas ad delendos reges.

4Noli regibus, o Lamuel, noli regibus dare vinum, quia nullum secretum est ubi regnat ebrietas;

5et ne forte bibant, et obliviscantur judiciorum, et mutent causam filiorum pauperis.

6Date siceram mœrentibus, et vinum his qui amaro sunt animo.

7Bibant, et obliviscantur egestatis suæ, et doloris sui non recordentur amplius.

8Aperi os tuum muto, et causis omnium filiorum qui pertranseunt.

9Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et pauperem.]

10[Mulierem fortem quis inveniet? procul et de ultimis finibus pretium ejus.

11Confidit in ea cor viri sui, et spoliis non indigebit.

12Reddet ei bonum, et non malum, omnibus diebus vitæ suæ.

13Quæsivit lanam et linum, et operata est consilia manuum suarum.

14Facta est quasi navis institoris, de longe portans panem suum.

15Et de nocte surrexit, deditque prædam domesticis suis, et cibaria ancillis suis.

16Consideravit agrum, et emit eum; de fructu manuum suarum plantavit vineam.

17Accinxit fortitudine lumbos suos, et roboravit brachium suum.

18Gustavit, et vidit quia bona est negotiatio ejus; non extinguetur in nocte lucerna ejus.

19Manum suam misit ad fortia, et digiti ejus apprehenderunt fusum.

20Manum suam aperuit inopi, et palmas suas extendit ad pauperem.

21Non timebit domui suæ a frigoribus nivis; omnes enim domestici ejus vestiti sunt duplicibus.

22Stragulatam vestem fecit sibi; byssus et purpura indumentum ejus.

23Nobilis in portis vir ejus, quando sederit cum senatoribus terræ.

24Sindonem fecit, et vendidit, et cingulum tradidit Chananæo.

25Fortitudo et decor indumentum ejus, et ridebit in die novissimo.

26Os suum aperuit sapientiæ, et lex clementiæ in lingua ejus.

27Consideravit semitas domus suæ, et panem otiosa non comedit.

28Surrexerunt filii ejus, et beatissimam prædicaverunt; vir ejus, et laudavit eam.

29Multæ filiæ congregaverunt divitias; tu supergressa es universas.

30Fallax gratia, et vana est pulchritudo: mulier timens Dominum, ipsa laudabitur.

31Date ei de fructu manuum suarum, et laudent eam in portis opera ejus.]

1The words of king Lamuel. The vision wherewith his mother instructed him.

2What, O my beloved, what, O the beloved of my womb, what, O the beloved of my vows?

3Give not thy substance to women, and thy riches to destroy kings.

4Give not to kings, O Lamuel, give not wine to kings: because there is no secret where drunkenness reigneth:

5And lest they drink and forget judgments, and pervert the cause of the children of the poor.

6Give strong drink to them that are sad: and wine to them that are grieved in mind:

7Let them drink, and forget their want, and remember their sorrow no more.

8Open thy mouth for the dumb, and for the causes of all the children that pass.

9Open thy mouth, decree that which is just, and do justice to the needy and poor.

10Who shall find a valiant woman? far and from the uttermost coasts is the price of her.

11The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no need of spoils.

12She will render him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.

13She hath sought wool and flax, and hath wrought by the counsel of her hands.

14She is like the merchant’s ship, she bringeth her bread from afar.

15And she hath risen in the night, and given a prey to her household, and victuals to her maidens.

16She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard.

17She hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm.

18She hath tasted and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night.

19She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle.

20She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor.

21She shall not fear for her house in the cold of snow: for all her domestics are clothed with double garments.

22She hath made for herself clothing of tapestry: fine linen, and purple is her covering.

23Her husband is honourable in the gates, when he sitteth among the senators of the land.

24She made fine linen, and sold it, and delivered a girdle to the Chanaanite.

25Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall laugh in the latter day.

26She hath opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency is on her tongue.

27She hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle.

28Her children rose up, and called her blessed: her husband, and he praised her.

29Many daughters have gathered together riches: thou hast surpassed them all.

30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: the woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her works praise her in the gates.