8  ⁱHear, my son, your father’s instruction,

and forsake not your mother’s teaching,

15  Drink ^owater from your own cistern,

flowing water from your own well.

16  Should your ^psprings be scattered abroad,

streams of water ^qin the streets?

17  ^rLet them be for yourself alone,

and not for strangers with you.

18  Let your ^ofountain be blessed,

and ^srejoice in ^tthe wife of your youth,

19  a lovely ^udeer, a graceful doe.

Let her breasts ^vfill you at all times with delight;

be intoxicated¹ always in her love.

20  Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with ^wa forbidden woman

and embrace the bosom of ^wan adulteress?²

20  ^lMy son, keep your father’s commandment,

^land forsake not your mother’s teaching.

21  ^mBind them on your heart always;

ⁿtie them around your neck.

22  ^oWhen you walk, they¹ will lead you;

^owhen you lie down, they will ^pwatch over you;

and when you awake, they will talk with you.

4  ^dAn excellent wife is ^ethe crown of her husband,

but she who ^fbrings shame is like ^grottenness in his bones.

24  ^cWhoever spares the rod hates his son,

but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.¹

1  ^eThe wisest of women ^fbuilds her house,

but folly with her own hands ^gtears it down.

6  ^uGrandchildren are ^vthe crown of the aged,

and the glory of children is their fathers.

22  He who finds ^ua wife finds ^va good thing

and ^wobtains favor ^xfrom the Lord.

6  ^wTrain up a child in the way he should go;

even when he is old he will not depart from it.

15  Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but ⁿthe rod of discipline drives it far from him.

13  Do not withhold ⁿdiscipline from a child;

^oif you strike him with a rod, he will not die.

14  If you strike him with the rod,

you will ^psave his soul from Sheol.

3  By ^ywisdom a house is built,

and by understanding it is established;

15  ^vThe rod and reproof give wisdom,

but a child left to himself ^wbrings shame to his mother.

17  ^yDiscipline your son, and he will give you rest;

he will give delight to your heart.

10  ^{1 u}An excellent wife who can find?

She is far more precious than ^vjewels.

11  The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will have no lack of gain.

12  She does him good, and not harm,

all the days of her life.

13  She ^wseeks wool and flax,

and works with willing hands.

14  She is like the ships of the merchant;

she brings her food from afar.

15  She ^xrises while it is yet night

and ^yprovides food for her household

and portions for her maidens.

16  She considers a field and buys it;

with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

17  She ^zdresses herself² with strength

and makes her arms strong.

18  She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.

Her lamp does not go out at night.

19  She puts her hands to the distaff,

and her hands hold the spindle.

20  She ^aopens her hand to ^bthe poor

and reaches out her hands to ^bthe needy.

21  She is not afraid of snow for her household,

for all her household are clothed in ^cscarlet.³

22  She makes ^dbed coverings for herself;

her clothing is ^efine linen and ^fpurple.

23  Her husband is known in ^gthe gates

when he sits among the elders of the land.

24  She makes ^hlinen garments and sells them;

she delivers sashes to the merchant.

25  ⁱStrength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the time to come.

26  She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.

27  She looks well to the ways of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28  Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29  “Many ^jwomen have done ^kexcellently,

but you surpass them all.”

30  ^lCharm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31  Give her of the fruit of her hands,

and let her works praise her in the gates.