Proverbs 31:1-9

English Standard Version

The Words of King Lemuel

31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

²What are you doing, my son?^[a] What are you doing, ^(A)son of my womb?
    What are you doing, ^(B)son of my vows?
³Do ^(C)not give your strength to women,
    your ways to those ^(D)who destroy kings.
⁴^(E)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings ^(F)to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take ^(G)strong drink,
⁵lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and ^(H)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink to the one who ^(I)is perishing,
    and wine to ^(J)those in bitter distress;^[b]
⁷^(K)let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.
⁸^(L)Open your mouth for the mute,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.^[c]
⁹Open your mouth, ^(M)judge righteously,
    ^(N)defend the rights of ^(O)the poor and needy.