The words of King Lemuel. The oracle which his mother taught him.
利慕伊勒王的言语，是他母亲教训他的谕言：

What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? / And what, O son of my vows?
我儿啊，我腹中生的儿啊，我许愿所得的儿啊！我当说什么呢？

Do not give your strength to women, / Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.
不要将你的精力给妇女，也不要有那使君王毁灭的行径。

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; / Nor for princes to say, Where is strong drink?
利慕伊勒啊，君王不可喝淡酒，绝对不可；首领也不可说，浓酒在哪里？

Lest they drink and forget what is decreed, / And pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
恐怕喝了就忘记所立的律例，颠倒一切困苦人的公理。

Give strong drink rather to one who is perishing, / And wine to the bitter in soul;
可以把浓酒给将亡的人喝，把淡酒给魂里愁苦的人喝，

Let him drink and forget his poverty, / And remember his misery no more.
让他喝了就忘记他的贫穷，不再记念他的苦恼。

Open your mouth for the dumb, / And for the rights of all those who are passing away.
你当为哑巴开口，为一切将过去的人伸冤。

Open your mouth; judge righteously, / And minister justice to the poor and needy.
你当开口按公义审判，为困苦和穷乏人秉持公理。

Who can find a worthy woman? / For her price is far above corals.
才德的妇人谁能得着呢？她的价值远胜过珠宝。

The heart of her husband trusts in her, / And he will have no lack of gain.
她丈夫心里倚靠她，必不缺少利益。

She does him good and not evil / All the days of her life.
她一生的日子使丈夫有益无损。

She seeks wool and flax, / And delights to work with her hands.
她寻找羊毛和麻，乐意亲手作工。

She is like the merchant ships; / She brings her food from afar.
她好像商船从远方运粮来，

She rises also while it is still night / And gives food to her household, / And their task to her serving girls.
天还黑她就起来，把食物分给家中的人，将当作的工分派婢女。

She considers a field and buys it; / With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
她想得田地就买来；用手所得的成果，栽种葡萄园。

She girds her loins with strength / And makes strong her arms.
她以能力束腰，使膀臂有力。

She samples her merchandise to be sure it is good; / Her lamp does not go out by night.
她检试自作的商品，确定都是好的；她的灯终夜不灭。

She lays her hands to the distaff, / And her hands hold on to the spindle.
她手拿捻线竿，手握纺线锤。

She stretches out her hand to the afflicted, / And she reaches out her hands to the needy.
她张手周济困苦人，伸手帮补穷乏人。

She does not fear for her household when it snows, / For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
她不因下雪为家里的人担心，因为全家都穿着朱红衣服。

She makes coverings for herself; / Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
她为自己制作毯子；她的衣服是细麻和紫色布作的。

Her husband is known in the gates, / When he sits among the elders of the land.
她丈夫在城门口与本地的长老同坐，为众人所认识。

She makes linen garments and sells them / And delivers girdles to the merchant.
她作细麻布衣裳出卖，又将腰带供给商家。

Strength and dignity are her clothing, / And she happily looks forward to the time to come.
能力和威仪是她的衣服，她想到日后的景况就喜笑。

She opens her mouth with wisdom, / And the law of kindness is on her tongue.
她开口就发智慧，她舌上有慈爱的法则。

She watches closely over the ways of her household / And does not eat the bread of idleness.
她观察家务，并不吃闲饭。

Her children rise up and call her blessed; / Her husband also, and he praises her, saying:
她的儿女起来称她有福；她的丈夫也称赞她，说，

Many daughters have done worthily, / But you surpass them all.
行事有才德的女子很多，惟独你超过众人。

Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; / But a woman who fears Jehovah, she will be praised.
艳丽是虚假的，美容是虚浮的；惟敬畏耶和华的妇女，必得称赞。

Give her of the fruit of her hands, / And let her works praise her in the gates.
愿她得着亲手操劳的果效，愿她的工作使她在城门口得称赞。