1 T he words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

هَذِهِ أقوالُ المَلِكِ لَمُوئِيلَ، مَلِكِ مَسّا، وَهِيَ أقوالٌ عَلَّمَتْهُ إيّاها أُمُّهُ.

2 W hat, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows?

لا يا بُنَيَّ، لا يا ابْنَ أحشائِي، لا يا ابْنَ نُذُورِي.

3 D o not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

لا تُبَدِّدْ قُوَّتَكَ عَلَى النِّساءِ، لا تُعطِ مَجالاً لِمَنْ يُدَمِّرْنَ مُلُوكاً.

4 I t is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

لَيسَ جَيِّداً يا لَمُوئِيلُ، لِلمُلُوكِ وَالحُكّامِ أنْ يَشرَبُوا الخَمْرَ وَالمُسكِراتِ.

5 L est they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

وَإلّا فَإنَّهُ سَيَشرَبُ وَيَنسَى القَوانِينَ، وَيَسلِبُ الفُقَراءَ حُقُوقَهُمْ.

6 G ive strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

أعطِ الخَمرَ لِلهالِكِينَ، وَلِلَّذِينَ فِي مَرارَةِ التَّعاسَةِ.

7 L et him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more.

يَشرَبُونَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَنسَوْنَ شَقائَهُمْ، وَلا يَتَذَكَّرُونَ تَعاسَتَهُمْ.

8 O pen your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.

دافِعْ عَمَّنْ لا يَستَطِيعُونَ الدِّفاعَ عَنْ أنفُسِهِمْ، وَعَنْ حُقُوقِ جَمِيعِ العاجِزِيِنَ.

9 O pen your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. The Virtuous Wife

تَكَلَّمْ وَاحكُمْ بِالعَدلِ، وَدافِعْ عَنْ حُقُوقِ الفُقَراءِ وَالمساكِينِ. الزَّوجَةُ الصّالِحَة

10 W ho can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.

مَنْ يَجِدُ الزَّوجَةَ الصّالِحَةَ؟ فَهِيَ أثمَنُ مِنْ الأحْجارِ الكَرِيمَةِ.

11 T he heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain.

قَلبُ زَوجِها يَثِقُ بِها، وَلا يَنقُصُهُ الخَيرُ أبَداً.

12 S he does him good and not evil All the days of her life.

تُعطِيهِ الخَيرَ وَلا تُسَبِّبُ لَهُ المَشاكِلَ كُلَّ أيّامِ حَياتِها.

13 S he seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands.

وَهِيَ تَجمَعُ الصُّوفَ وَالكِتّانَ وَتَستَمتِعُ بِالعَمَلِ بِيَدَيها.

14 S he is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar.

وَهِيَ تُشبِهُ السُّفُنَ التِّجارِيَّةَ الَّتِي تُحضِرُ الطَّعامَ مِنْ أماكِنَ بَعِيدَةٍ.

15 S he also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants.

تَستَيقِظُ مُبَكِّرَةً لِتُجَهِّزَ الطَّعامَ لِعائِلَتِها، وَتُعْطِي خادِماتِها حِصَصَهُنَّ.

16 S he considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard.

تَرَى حَقلاً يُعجِبُها فَتَشتَرِيهِ، وَتَزرَعُ كَرماً مِمّا تَرْبَحُهُ.

17 S he girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms.

تَبْدَأُ عَمَلَها بِنَشاطٍ وَجِدٍّ وَيَداها قَوِيَّتانِ.

18 S he perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night.

تَعلَمُ أنَّ تِجارَتَها مُربِحَةٌ، لِأنَّها تَعمَلُ حَتَّى وَقْتٍ مُتَأخِّرٍ.

19 S he stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle.

تَغْزِلُ الخَيُوطَ بِيَدَيها، وَتَنْسِجُ الثِّيابَ.

20 S he extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

تُعطِي بِسَخاءٍ لِلفُقَراءَ، وَتَمُدُّ يَدَيها لِمَعُونَةِ المُحتاجِينَ.

21 S he is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

لا تَخافُ عَلَى أهلِ بَيتِها فِي الشِّتاءِ عِنْدَ سُقُوطِ الثَّلجِ، لِأنَّ أهلَ بَيتِها يَلبِسُونَ ثِياباً دافِئَةً.

22 S he makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

تَصْنَع لِنَفْسِها أغطيةً مُزَخْرَفَةً، وَتَلْبَسُ ثِياباً مَصْنُوعَةً مِنَ الكِتّانِ وَالأُرْجُوانِ.

23 H er husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land.

يُحتَرَمُ زَوْجُها عِنْدَ ألأبْوابِ، حَيثُ يَجلِسُ مَعَ قادَةِ المَدينَةِ.

24 S he makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants.

تَصْنَعُ ثِياباً وَأحْزِمَةً وَتَبِيعُها للتُّجّارِ.

25 S trength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.

يَمْتَدِحُها النّاسُ وَيَحْتَرِمُونَها، وَلا تَقلَقُ عَلَى الأيّامِ القادِمَةِ.

26 S he opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

تَتَكلَّمُ بِالحِكْمَةِ، وَتَنْطِقُ بِتَعلِيمٍ أمِينٍ مَلِيءٍ بِالمَحَبَّةِ وَاللُّطْفِ وَالأمانَةِ.

27 S he watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.

تُراقِبُ شُؤونَ بَيْتِها، وَلا تَأكُلُ طَعاماً لَمْ تَتعَبْ فِي إعدادِهِ.

28 H er children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her:

يَقُومُ أولادُها وَيُهَنِّئونَها، وَزَوْجُها يَمْتَدِحُها.

29 “ Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.”

كَثِيراتٌ يَعْمَلْنَ أعْمالاً عَظِيمَةً، وَلَكِنَّكِ تَفَوَّقْتِ عَلَيْهِنَّ جَمِيعاً.

30 C harm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

يُمْكِنُ للجَمالِ وَالحَلاوَةِ أنْ يَخْدَعاكَ، وَلَكِنَّ المَرْأةَ التِي تَخافُ اللهَ هِيَ التِي تُمْدَحُ.

31 G ive her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates.

كافِئُوها عَلَى ما عَمِلَتْ، فَأعْمالُها تَمْدَحُها وَسَطَ النّاسِ.