Bible Reading Plan

Read the Bible in two years

Saturday, August 29, 2026

Proverbs 31:1–9 (Listen)

The Words of King Lemuel

31:1 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

2   What are you doing, my son?1 What are you doing, son of my womb?
    What are you doing, son of my vows?
3   Do not give your strength to women,
    your ways to those who destroy kings.
4   It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take strong drink,
5   lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6   Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress;2
7   let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.
8   Open your mouth for the mute,
    for the rights of all who are destitute.3
9   Open your mouth, judge righteously,
    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Footnotes

[1] 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?
[2] 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul
[3] 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. You may not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

Back to Top