31:27

27a She watches over the affairs of her household

27b and does not eat the bread of idleness.

31:27a

She watches over the affairs of her household: This line means that she carefully supervises everything that happens in her home. She makes sure that everyone’s needs are met and that all the work is done in an orderly and satisfactory way. Some other ways to translate this line are:

She oversees the activities of her household (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
She keeps good watch on the conduct of her household (New Jerusalem Bible)

31:27b

and does not eat the bread of idleness: This phrase is an idiom. It means that she is not idle or lazy. Some other ways to translate this line are:

and is never lazy (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and never wastes her time (New Century Version)
-or-
She never just sits and does nothing.

General Comment on 31:27a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to reorder these two lines. For example:

She is always busy and looks after her family’s needs. (Good News Translation)

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