Ode to Adinete, my
wife
When one
finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her
husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She
brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She
obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skillful hands.
Like
merchant ships, she secures her provisions from afar.
She rises
while it is still night, and distributes food to her household.
She picks
out a field to purchase; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
She is
girt about with strength, and sturdy are her arms.
She
enjoys the success of her dealings; at night her lamp is undimmed.
She puts
her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She
reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
She fears
not the snow for her household; all her charges are doubly clothed.
She makes
her own coverlets; fine linen and purple are her clothing.
Her
husband is prominent at the city gates as he sits with the elders of the land.
She makes
garments and sells them, and stocks the merchants with belts.
She is
clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come.
She opens
her mouth in wisdom, and on her tongue is kindly counsel.
She
watches the conduct of her household, and eats not her food in idleness.
Her
children rise up and praise her; her husband, too, extols her:
"Many
are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all."
Charm is
deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward of
her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Proverbs: Chapter 31:10-31