5:15 Drink water from your own cistern
and running water from your own well. 1
5:16 Should your springs be dispersed 2 outside,
your streams of water in the wide plazas?
5:17 Let them be for yourself 3 alone,
and not for strangers with you. 4
5:18 May your fountain be blessed, 5
and may you rejoice 6 in your young wife 7 –
5:19 a loving doe, 8 a graceful deer;
may her breasts satisfy you at all times,
may you be captivated 9 by her love always.
5:20 But why should you be captivated, 10 my son, by an adulteress,
and embrace the bosom of a different woman? 11
5:21 For the ways of a person 12 are in front of the Lord’s eyes,
and the Lord 13 weighs 14 all that person’s 15 paths.
5:22 The wicked 16 will be captured by his 17 own iniquities, 18
and he will be held 19 by the cords of his own sin. 20
5:23 He will die because 21 there was no discipline;
because of the greatness of his folly 22 he will reel. 23
12:4 A noble wife 24 is the crown 25 of her husband,
but the wife 26 who acts shamefully is like rottenness in his bones. 27
19:14 A house and wealth are inherited from parents, 28
but a prudent wife 29 is from the Lord.
31:10 Who can find 31 a wife 32 of noble character? 33
For her value 34 is far more than rubies.
31:11 The heart of her husband has confidence 35 in her,
and he has no lack of gain. 36
31:12 She brings him 37 good and not evil 38
all the days of her life.
31:13 She obtains 39 wool and flax,
and she is pleased to work with her hands. 40
31:14 She is like 41 the merchant ships; 42
she brings her food from afar.
31:15 She also gets up 43 while it is still night,
and provides food 44 for her household and a portion 45 to her female servants.
31:16 She considers 46 a field and buys it;
from her own income 47 she plants a vineyard.
31:17 She begins 48 her work vigorously,
and she strengthens 49 her arms.
31:18 She knows 50 that her merchandise is good,
and her lamp 51 does not go out in the night.
31:19 Her hands 52 take hold 53 of the distaff,
and her hands grasp the spindle.
31:20 She extends 54 her hand 55 to the poor,
and reaches out her hand to the needy.
31:21 She is not 56 afraid of the snow 57 for her household,
for all of her household are clothed with scarlet. 58
31:22 She makes for herself coverlets; 59
her clothing is fine linen and purple. 60
31:23 Her husband is well-known 61 in the city gate 62
when he sits with the elders 63 of the land.
31:24 She makes linen garments 64 and sells them,
and supplies the merchants 65 with sashes.
31:25 She is clothed 66 with strength 67 and honor, 68
and she can laugh 69 at the time 70 to come.
31:26 She opens her mouth 71 with wisdom,
and loving instruction 72 is on her tongue.
31:27 She watches over 73 the ways of her household,
and does not eat the bread of idleness. 74
31:28 Her children rise up 75 and call her blessed,
her husband 76 also praises her:
31:29 “Many 77 daughters 78 have done valiantly, 79
but you surpass them all!”
31:30 Charm is deceitful 80 and beauty is fleeting, 81
but a woman who fears the Lord 82 will be praised.
31:31 Give 83 her credit for what she has accomplished, 84
and let her works praise her 85 in the city gates. 86
29:21 Finally Jacob said 94 to Laban, “Give me my wife, for my time of service is up. 95 I want to have marital relations with her.” 96
29:28 Jacob did as Laban said. 97 When Jacob 98 completed Leah’s bridal week, 99 Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 100
9:9 Enjoy 101 life with your beloved wife 102 during all the days of your fleeting 103 life
that God 104 has given you on earth 105 during all your fleeting days; 106
for that is your reward in life and in your burdensome work 107 on earth. 108
12:12 Jacob fled to the country of Aram,
then Israel worked 109 to acquire a wife;
he tended sheep to pay for her.
12:1 Ephraim continually feeds on the wind;
he chases the east wind all day;
he multiplies lies and violence.
They make treaties 110 with Assyria,
and send olive oil as tribute 111 to Egypt.