1 These are the solemn words which King Lemuel's mother said to him:
2 “You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you?
3 Don't spend all your energy on sex and all your money on women; they have destroyed kings.
4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink wine or have a craving for alcohol.
5 When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of people in need.
6 Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery.
7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness.