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Monday, July 7th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Proverbs 31:6

Geue strong drynke vnto such as are redy to perishe, and wine vnto those that mourne:

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Drunkenness;   Wine;   Thompson Chain Reference - Intemperance;   Temperance-Intemperance;   Wine;   Woman;   The Topic Concordance - Drunkenness;   Government;   Sobriety;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Wine;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Myrrh;   Proverb, the Book of;   Woman;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Grapes;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Cup;   Lemuel;   Wine;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Agur;   Lemuel;   Proverbs, the Book of;   Wine;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   Vine;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Acrostic;   Cup;   Ethics;   Lemuel;   Marriage;   Massa;   Proverbs, Book of;   Song of Songs;   Trade and Commerce;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Crucifixion;   Wine ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Lemuel ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Gall;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Wine;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Lem'uel;   Wine;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Cross;   Draughts;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Cup;   Drink, Strong;   Drunkenness;   Heavy;   Lemuel;   Proverbs, Book of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Consolation;   Wine;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Give beer to one who is dyingand wine to one whose life is bitter.
Hebrew Names Version
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; And wine to the bitter in soul:
King James Version
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
English Standard Version
Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
New American Standard Bible
Give intoxicating drink to one who is perishing, And wine to one whose life is bitter.
New Century Version
Give beer to people who are dying and wine to those who are sad.
Amplified Bible
Give strong drink [as medicine] to him who is ready to pass away, And wine to him whose life is bitter.
World English Bible
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish; And wine to the bitter in soul:
Geneva Bible (1587)
Giue ye strong drinke vnto him that is readie to perish, and wine vnto them that haue griefe of heart.
Legacy Standard Bible
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,And wine to those whose soul is bitter.
Berean Standard Bible
Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to the bitter in soul.
Contemporary English Version
Beer and wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope.
Complete Jewish Bible
Give strong liquor to one who is perishing, wine to the deeply depressed;
Darby Translation
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter of soul:
Easy-to-Read Version
Give beer to people without hope. Give wine to those who are in trouble.
George Lamsa Translation
Let strong drink be given to those who mourn, and wine to those who are of heavy heart,
Good News Translation
Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery.
Lexham English Bible
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress.
Literal Translation
Give fermented drink to one perishing, and wine to the bitter of soul,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Geue stronge drynke vnto soch as are condempned to death, & wyne vnto those yt mourne:
American Standard Version
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, And wine unto the bitter in soul:
Bible in Basic English
Give strong drink to him who is near to destruction, and wine to him whose soul is bitter:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul;
King James Version (1611)
Giue strong drinke vnto him that is ready to perish, and wine vnto those that be of heauie hearts.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A great snare is spread for a sinner: but the righteous shall be in joy and gladness.
English Revised Version
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto the bitter in soul:
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Yyue ye sidur to hem that morenen, and wyn to hem that ben of bitter soule.
Update Bible Version
Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, And wine to the bitter in soul:
Webster's Bible Translation
Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish, and wine to those that are of heavy hearts.
New English Translation
Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitterly distressed;
New King James Version
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
New Living Translation
Alcohol is for the dying, and wine for those in bitter distress.
New Life Bible
Give strong drink to him who is about to die, and wine to him whose life is full of trouble.
New Revised Standard
Give strong drink to one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Give strong drink, to him that is perishing, and wine, to such as are embittered in soul:
Douay-Rheims Bible
Give strong drink to them that are sad; and wine to them that are grieved in mind:
Revised Standard Version
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress;
Young's Literal Translation
Give strong drink to the perishing, And wine to the bitter in soul,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to him whose life is bitter.

Contextual Overview

1 THE wordes of king Lamuel, and the lesson that his mother taught him. 2 What my sonne? what the sonne of my body? and what O my deare beloued sonne? 3 Geue not ouer thy strength & wayes vnto women, which are the destruction euen of kynges. 4 O Lamuel, it is not for kynges, it is not [I say] for kynges to drynke wine, nor princes strong drynke. 5 Lest they by drnkyng forget the lawe, and peruert the iudgement of all poore mens children. 6 Geue strong drynke vnto such as are redy to perishe, and wine vnto those that mourne: 7 That they may drynke it, and forget their miserie and aduersitie. 8 Be thou an aduocate for the dumbe, [to speake] in the cause of all such as be succourlesse in this transitorie worlde. 9 Open thy mouth, defende the thyng that is lawfull and ryght, and the cause of the poore and helpelesse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

strong: Psalms 104:15, 1 Timothy 5:23

of heavy hearts: Heb. bitter of soul, 1 Samuel 1:10, 1 Samuel 30:6, 2 Kings 4:27, *marg.

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:34 - were merry Judges 9:13 - cheereth 1 Samuel 22:2 - discontented 2 Samuel 16:2 - that such Job 3:20 - the bitter Job 29:13 - ready Proverbs 23:20 - not Isaiah 24:11 - a crying Jeremiah 16:7 - cup Zechariah 10:7 - and their Luke 14:13 - call Luke 22:18 - the fruit

Cross-References

Genesis 30:29
But he saide vnto him: Thou knowest what seruice I haue done thee, and in what takyng thy cattell haue ben vnder me:
Genesis 31:5
And sayde vnto them: I see your fathers countenauce that it is not toward me as it was wont to be: but the God of my father hath ben with me.
Genesis 31:8
When he sayde, the spotted shalbe thy wages: then al the sheepe bare spotted. And when he sayd, the ringstraked shalbe thy rewarde: then bare all the sheepe ringstraked.
Genesis 31:9
Thus hath God taken away the increase of your fathers flocke, and geuen it to me.
Genesis 31:10
But in rammyng tyme, I lifted vp myne eyes, and sawe in a dreame, and beholde, the Rammes leaped vpon the sheepe that were ringstraked, spotted, and partie.
Genesis 31:22
Upon the thirde day after, was it told Laban that Iacob fled.
Genesis 31:25
And Laban ouertoke Iacob, and Iacob had pitched his tent in the mounte: And Laban with his brethren, pitched also vpon the mounte Gilead.
Genesis 31:38
Behold, this twentie yere haue I ben with thee, thy sheepe and thy goates haue not ben barren, and the rammes of thy flocke haue I not eaten.
Genesis 31:42
And except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the feare of Isahac had ben with me, surely thou haddest sent me away nowe all emptie: but God behelde my tribulation and the labour of my handes, and rebuked [thee] yesternyght.
1 Peter 2:18
Seruauntes, obey your maisters with all feare, not only yf they be good & curteous, but also though they be frowarde.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,.... Thou, O Lemuel, and other kings and judges, rather than drink strong drink yourselves, least to excess; give it out of your great abundance and liberality to poor persons in starving circumstances, who must perish, unless relieved; it will do them good, moderately used; and should they drink too freely, which they ought not, yet it would not be attended with such bad consequences as if kings and princes should;

and wine to those that be of heavy heart; of melancholy dispositions, under gloomy apprehensions of things; pressed with the weight of their affliction and poverty: or, "bitter in soul" i; such as God has dealt bitterly with, as Naomi says was her case, and therefore called her own name Marah, which signifies bitter; of such a sorrowful spirit, and one thus bitter in soul, was Hannah; and so Job, and others; persons in great affliction and distress, to whom life itself is bitter; see Ruth 1:20; now wine to such is very exhilarating and cheering; see Judges 9:13.

i למרי נפש "his qui amaro sunt animo", V. L. Pagninus, Tigurine version: "amaris animo", Montanus, Junius Tremellius "amaris animus", Vatablus, Piscator.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The true purpose of the power of wine over man’s mind and body, as a restorative and remedial agent. Compare the margin reference. The same thought showed itself in the Jewish practice of giving a cup of wine to mourners, and (as in the history of the crucifixion) to criminals at their execution.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 31:6. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish — We have already seen, that inebriating drinks were mercifully given to condemned criminals, to render them less sensible of the torture they endured in dying. This is what was offered to our Lord; but he refused it. Psalms 104:15.


 
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