Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 31:12

ESV She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
NIV She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
NASB She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
CSB She rewards him with good, not evil, all the days of her life.
NLT She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
KJV She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

What does Proverbs 31:12 mean?

In a traditional western wedding ceremony, the bride and groom pledge love and loyalty until death parts them. The excellent wife (Proverbs 31:10) honors her husband by working for his benefit "all the days of her life." Philippians 2:3–4 provides a New Testament parallel to this idea. These verses say, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." The godly wife always seeks to uplift and support her husband. She does not act with spite or revenge. She does not insist on having things go her way. Instead, she demonstrates the truth that "love never ends" (1 Corinthians 13:8).

This is an obligation shared by both spouses, of course: to work for each other's good. To "love," biblically, includes practical actions which care for others (John 15:12).
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