Day 341 of 365

¹Blessed is he who considers the poor. The Lord will deliver him in the day of evil.

²The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive. He shall be blessed on the earth, and he will not surrender him to the will of his enemies.

³The Lord will sustain him on his sickbed, and restore him from his bed of illness.

⁴I said, "Lord, have mercy on me! Heal me, for I have sinned against you."

⁵My enemies speak evil against me: "When will he die, and his name perish?"

⁶If he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood. His heart gathers iniquity to itself. When he goes abroad, he tells it.

⁷All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

⁸"An evil disease," they say, "has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more."

⁹Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰But you, Lord, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

¹¹By this I know that you delight in me, because my enemy doesn't triumph over me.

¹²As for me, you uphold me in my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.

¹³Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen.

¹The words of king Lemuel; the oracle which his mother taught him.

²"Oh, my son! Oh, son of my womb! Oh, son of my vows!

³Do not give your strength to women, nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel; it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say, 'Where is strong drink?'

⁵lest they drink, and forget the decree, and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; and wine to the bitter in soul:

⁷Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy."

¹⁰Who can find a worthy woman? For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her. He shall have no lack of gain.

¹²She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.

¹³She seeks wool and flax, and works eagerly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships. She brings her bread from afar.

¹⁵She rises also while it is yet night, gives food to her household, and portions for her servant girls.

¹⁶She considers a field, and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds her waist with strength, and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp doesn't go out by night.

¹⁹She lays her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

²⁰She opens her arms to the poor; yes, she extends her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She makes for herself carpets of tapestry. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband is respected in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them, and delivers sashes to the merchant.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing. She laughs at the time to come.

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom. Faithful instruction is on her tongue.

²⁷She looks well to the ways of her household, and doesn't eat the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her:

²⁹"Many women do noble things, but you excel them all."

³⁰Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands! Let her works praise her in the gates!