« | Proverbs 31 |
1 The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:
2 What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows?
3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel -- it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13 She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14 She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens.
16 She considereth a field and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; her candle goeth not out by night.
19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23 Her husband is known at the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24 She maketh fine linen and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25 Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her:
29 "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."
30 Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who feareth the LORD, she shall be praised!
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her at the gates.
About: The 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)
The 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) is an updated version of the King James Version Bible published in 1994 that remains aligned to the Textus Receptus, and does not exclude biblical passages based on Alexandrian Greek manuscripts. Unlike the New King James Version, it does not change the language significantly from the 1611 King James Version, keeping Jacobean grammar (including thee and thou), but it tries to substitute some of the vocabulary that may not be understood by the modern reader.
The alterations in words are based on the second edition of the Webster New International Dictionary. There were no changes related to gender or theology. Recently, it has the capitalization of pronouns much like New King James Version, addressing Deity while keeping the archaic pronouns.
The reader should notice almost no difference from reading the King James Version except that certain archaic words have been replaced with words that are more understandable in modern English. The translation is directed towards readers who are looking for a very conservative King James update, but reduce the use of obsolete words.