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Read the Bible

Contemporary English Version

Proverbs 31:6

Beer and wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope.

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.
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.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Geue strong drynke vnto such as are redy to perishe, and wine vnto those that mourne:
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 These are the sayings that King Lemuel of Massa was taught by his mother. 2 My son Lemuel, you were born in answer to my prayers, so listen carefully. 3 Don't waste your life chasing after women! This has ruined many kings. 4 Kings and leaders should not get drunk or even want to drink. 5 Drinking makes you forget your responsibilities, and you mistreat the poor. 6 Beer and wine are only for the dying or for those who have lost all hope. 7 Let them drink and forget how poor and miserable they feel. 8 But you must defend those who are helpless and have no hope. 9 Be fair and give justice to the poor and homeless.

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
Jacob answered: You've seen how hard I've worked for you, and you know how your flocks and herds have grown under my care.
Genesis 31:5
and he told them: Your father isn't as friendly with me as he used to be, but the God my ancestors worshiped has been on my side.
Genesis 31:8
When your father said the speckled sheep would be my wages, all of them were speckled. And when he said the spotted ones would be mine, all of them were spotted.
Genesis 31:9
That's how God has taken sheep and goats from your father and given them to me.
Genesis 31:10
Once, when the flocks were mating, I dreamed that all the rams were either spotted or speckled.
Genesis 31:22
Three days later Laban found out that Jacob had gone.
Genesis 31:25
Jacob had set up camp in the hill country of Gilead, when Laban and his relatives came and set up camp in another part of the hill country. Laban went to Jacob
Genesis 31:38
In all the twenty years that I've worked for you, not one of your sheep or goats has had a miscarriage, and I've never eaten even one of your rams.
Genesis 31:42
If the fearsome God worshiped by Abraham and my father Isaac had not been on my side, you would have sent me away without a thing. But God saw my hard work, and he knew the trouble I was in, so he helped me. Then last night he told you how wrong you were.
1 Peter 2:18
Servants, you must obey your masters and always show respect to them. Do this, not only to those who are kind and thoughtful, but also to those who are cruel.

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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