DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR AND NEEDY

Proverbs 31:1-9 / Keywords 31:9

Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Sayings of King Lemuel

31:1 The sayings of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.

2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!

    Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!

3 Do not spend your strength[a] on women,

    your vigor on those who ruin kings.

4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—

    it is not for kings to drink wine,

    not for rulers to crave beer,

5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed,

    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,

    wine for those who are in anguish!

7 Let them drink and forget their poverty

    and remember their misery no more.

8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,

    for the rights of all who are destitute.

9 Speak up and judge fairly;

    defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Footnotes

a. Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth

1. The king wrote an oracle that his mother taught him. (Possibly this is King Solomon, whose mother was Bathsheba.) She reminded him of how precious he was from her womb, and how she had made a vow to dedicate him to the Lord. She rebukes him for fraternizing with women and getting drunk. She admonishes him to take care of the poor. She reminds him that he was a king in the making, and kings had to carry themselves with nobility and justice. 

2. He had a responsibility to protect and preserve the rights of the afflicted. But addiction to women and wine makes him lose judgment. Likewise, there are temptations around us to drink and be immoral. Let us make a noble decision to live a pure and upright life, so that we may be able to grow in wisdom, power, and courage to defend the rights of the poor and to administer justice for our generation. 

Prayer Father, thank you for Jesus, who defended the rights of the poor. Help us to be leaders like him for our generation. 

One Word Live righteously and protect the needy