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)” by JPS 1917 translation is a scripture reading read at weddings and funerals alike. It takes about 55 seconds 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.
What it is about
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.
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 55 seconds 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 55 seconds, 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.