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Don’t give your strength to women
    or your power to those who ruin kings.

“It is not for kings, Lemuel.
    It is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to crave liquor.
Otherwise, they drink and forget what they have decreed
    and change the standard of justice for all oppressed people.

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Do not spend your strength[a] on women,
    your vigor on those who ruin kings.(A)

It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,(B)
    not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink(C) and forget what has been decreed,(D)
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth