31 These are the sayings by King Lemuel, the burden, that his mother had taught him:

2 Now what my son? My son that I gave birth to.

≈ The son from my marriage.

3 Don’t give your strength to women,

or use your intelligence to destroy kings.

4 Lemuel, it’s not for kings to drink wine

or for rulers to crave strong drink,

5 in case they drink and forget their own laws

and end up depriving the poor of justice.

6 Give strong drink to those who are dying,

≈ and wine to those who are bitterly depressed.

7 They’ll drink it then forget their poverty,

≈ and not remember their misery any more.

8 Open your mouth for those who can’t speak—

for the cause of all those who are dying.

9 Open your mouth to promote justice,

and to defend the poor and needy.