Wedding reading
Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)
JPS 1917 translation
“Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)” (JPS 1917 translation) is a scripture reading read at weddings and funerals alike. It takes about a minute and a half read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is in the public domain, so the full text is printed on this page and goes straight into a ceremony script.
The full text
A woman of valour who can find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, and he hath no lack of gain. She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life. Strength and dignity are her clothing; And she laugheth at the time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And the law of kindness is on her tongue. She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children rise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her: ’Many daughters have done valiantly, But thou excellest them all.’ Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; But a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her works praise her in the gates.
Public domain, so these words can be printed in a ceremony script or an order of service.
Where it comes from
Eshet Chayil, “woman of valor,” is the name for verses 10 to 31 of Proverbs 31, one of the thirteen alphabetical acrostic poems in the Bible, where each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The chapter is customarily sung at the Shabbat dinner, after Shalom Aleichem and before the Kiddush.
What it says
The poem is a portrait of a capable woman whose worth is beyond rubies. Her husband trusts her completely. She works with her hands, runs her household with care, opens her mouth with wisdom, and has kindness on her tongue. She is clothed in strength and dignity and laughs at the time to come. Her children rise up and call her blessed. It ends by saying that charm and beauty pass, but a woman who reveres the Lord will be praised, and her own work will praise her in the gates. It is praise for a whole life, given by the people who saw it up close.
Sung on Shabbat, read at the funeral of a mother or grandmother. Read at weddings and funerals alike. Themes: a woman of valour · a mother · a grandmother · strength · Shabbat.
Who it suits
The funeral of a mother or grandmother in a Jewish family, especially one where it was sung at her table on Friday nights. It also suits a Jewish wedding when the groom or the family wants to honor the bride. It describes a traditional household, and some families will find that it fits the woman they knew exactly while others will find it does not; ask before you plan it. Choose this for a woman who would have recognized herself in it.
Where it goes in the ceremony
At a funeral, after the eulogy or in place of the closing reading, so that it gathers up what has been said. Read by a child, a grandchild or a husband, it carries more than it does from the officiant. At a wedding, it fits before the vows or at the reception, often sung by the groom or the family.
Reading it aloud
The text on this page is 149 words. At a ceremony pace of about 130 words a minute, which is slower than conversation, that comes to about a minute and a half of reading.
- Ten lines, each a full sentence. Breathe at every full stop and do not rush the list of her work.
- “Her children rise up, and call her blessed” is the line the room will be waiting for. Look up from the page on it.
- If the family sang it at home, ask whether they would rather sing it together. Many will.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)” take to read aloud?
“Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)” takes about a minute and a half read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)” runs about a minute and a half, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “Eshet Chayil — A Woman of Valour (Proverbs 31, JPS 1917)” be printed in a ceremony script?
Yes. It is in the public domain, so the full text is on this page and can be printed in a script or an order of service.
Where this text was checked
Checked word for word against a full-text edition that is itself the authority — a Project Gutenberg or Wikisource transcription, a publisher’s own edition, or the issuing body’s page.
Checked
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the vows, the ring exchange, the pronouncement — and the timing that holds them together. Answer some questions about the couple and get the whole ceremony, written out, with this reading in its place.
Other readings that suit the same service
- Proverbs 31:10–12, 25–31a minute and a halfThe same passage in the King James wording
- Psalm 15 (JPS 1917)50 secondsA portrait of an honest person in the same translation
- Ruth 1:16–17a30 secondsAnother story of a woman’s loyalty, from the Hebrew Bible
- Ephesians 3:14–1950 secondsKing James Bible
- 1 Corinthians 16:13–1415 secondsKing James Bible
- Psalm 46:1–7, 10–11a minute and a halfKing James Bible