Proverbs 31:10-31 (Contemporary English Version)

In Praise of a Good Wife

¹⁰A truly good wife
   is the most precious treasure
   a man can find!
¹¹Her husband depends on her,
   and she never
   lets him down.
¹²She is good to him
   every day of her life,
¹³and with her own hands
   she gladly makes clothes.
¹⁴She is like a sailing ship
   that brings food
   from across the sea.
¹⁵She gets up before daylight
   to prepare food
   for her family
   and for her servants.
¹⁶She knows how to buy land
   and how to plant a vineyard,
¹⁷and she always works hard.
¹⁸She knows when to buy or sell,
   and she stays busy
   until late at night.
¹⁹She spins her own cloth,
²⁰and she helps the poor
   and the needy.
²¹Her family has warm clothing,
   and so she doesn't worry
   when it snows.
²²She does her own sewing,
   and everything she wears
   is beautiful.
²³Her husband is a well-known
   and respected leader
   in the city.
²⁴She makes clothes to sell
   to the shop owners.
²⁵She is strong and graceful, as well as cheerful
   about the future.
²⁶Her words are sensible,
   and her advice
   is thoughtful.
²⁷She takes good care
   of her family
   and is never lazy.
²⁸Her children praise her,
   and with great pride
   her husband says,
²⁹"There are many good women,
   but you are the best!"
³⁰Charm can be deceiving,
   and beauty fades away,
   but a woman
   who honours the LORD
   deserves to be praised.
³¹Show her respect--
   praise her in public
   for what she has done.