أَمْثَالٌ 30

١ 1 كَلَامُ أَجُورَ ٱبْنِ مُتَّقِيَةِ مَسَّا. وَحْيُ هَذَا ٱلرَّجُلِ إِلَى إِيثِيئِيلَ، إِلَى إِيثِيئِيلَ وَأُكَّالَ:

These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.

٢ 2 إِنِّي أَبْلَدُ مِن كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ، وَلَيْسَ لِي فَهْمُ إِنْسَانٍ،

It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.

٣ 3 وَلَمْ أَتَعَلَّمِ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ، وَلَمْ أَعْرِفْ مَعْرِفَةَ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ.

I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.

٤ 4 مَنْ صَعِدَ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَنَزَلَ؟ مَنْ جَمَعَ ٱلرِّيحَ في حَفْنَتَيْهِ؟ مَنْ صَرَّ ٱلْمِيَاهَ في ثَوْبٍ؟ مَنْ ثَبَّتَ جَمِيعَ أَطْرَافِ ٱلْأَرْضِ؟ مَا ٱسْمُهُ؟ وَمَا ٱسْمُ ٱبْنِهِ إِنْ عَرَفْتَ؟

[But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].

٥ 5 كُلُّ كَلِمَةٍ مِنَ ٱللهِ نَقِيَّةٌ. تُرْسٌ هُوَ لِلْمُحْتَمِينَ بِهِ.

Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.

٦ 6 لَا تَزِدْ عَلَى كَلِمَاتِهِ لِئَلَّا يُوَبِّخَكَ فَتُكَذَّبَ.

Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.

٧ 7 اِثْنَتَيْنِ سَأَلْتُ مِنْكَ، فَلَا تَمْنَعْهُمَا عَنِّي قَبْلَ أَنْ أَمُوتَ:

[God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:

٨ 8 أَبْعِدْ عَنِّي ٱلْبَاطِلَ وَٱلْكَذِبَ. لَا تُعْطِنِي فَقْرًا وَلَا غِنًى. أَطْعِمْنِي خُبْزَ فَرِيضَتِي،

Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;

٩ 9 لِئَلَّا أَشْبَعَ وَأَكْفُرَ وَأَقُولَ: «مَنْ هُوَ ٱلرَّبُّ؟» أَوْ لِئَلَّا أَفْتَقِرَ وَأَسْرِقَ وَأَتَّخِذَ ٱسْمَ إِلَهِي بَاطِلًا.

because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.

١٠ 10 لَا تَشْكُ عَبْدًا إِلَى سَيِّدِهِ لِئَلَّا يَلْعَنَكَ فَتَأْثَمَ.

Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.

١١ 11 جِيلٌ يَلْعَنُ أَبَاهُ وَلَا يُبَارِكُ أُمَّهُ.

[I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.

١٢ 12 جِيلٌ طَاهِرٌ فِي عَيْنَيْ نَفْسِهِ، وَهُوَ لَمْ يَغْتَسِلْ مِنْ قَذَرِهِ.

Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.

١٣ 13 جِيلٌ مَا أَرْفَعَ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَحَوَاجِبُهُ مُرْتَفِعَةٌ.

Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.

١٤ 14 جِيلٌ أَسْنَانُهُ سُيُوفٌ، وَأَضْرَاسُهُ سَكَاكِينُ، لِأَكْلِ ٱلْمَسَاكِينِ عَنِ ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْفُقَرَاءِ مِنْ بَيْنِ ٱلنَّاسِ.

Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.

١٥ 15 لِلْعَلُوقَةِ بِنْتَانِ: «هَاتِ، هَاتِ!». ثَلَاثَةٌ لَا تَشْبَعُ، أَرْبَعَةٌ لَا تَقُولُ: «كَفَا»:

Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:

١٦ 16 ٱلْهَاوِيَةُ، وَٱلرَّحِمُ ٱلْعَقِيمُ، وَأَرْضٌ لَا تَشْبَعُ مَاءً، وَٱلنَّارُ لَا تَقُولُ: «كَفَا». (Sheol h7585)

The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)

١٧ 17 اَلْعَيْنُ ٱلْمُسْتَهْزِئَةُ بِأَبِيهَا، وَٱلْمُحْتَقِرَةُ إِطَاعَةَ أُمِّهَا، تُقَوِّرُهَا غُرْبَانُ ٱلْوَادِي، وَتَأْكُلُهَا فِرَاخُ ٱلنَّسْرِ.

Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.

١٨ 18 ثَلَاثَةٌ عَجِيبَةٌ فَوْقِي، وَأَرْبَعَةٌ لَا أَعْرِفُهَا:

There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:

١٩ 19 طَرِيقَ نَسْرٍ فِي ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ، وَطَرِيقَ حَيَّةٍ عَلَى صَخْرٍ، وَطَرِيقَ سَفِينَةٍ فِي قَلْبِ ٱلْبَحْرِ، وَطَرِيقَ رَجُلٍ بِفَتَاةٍ.

How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.

٢٠ 20 كَذَلِكَ طَرِيقُ ٱلْمَرْأَةِ ٱلزَّانِيَةِ. أَكَلَتْ وَمَسَحَتْ فَمَهَا وَقَالَتْ: «مَا عَمِلْتُ إِثْمًا!».

This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”

٢١ 21 تَحْتَ ثَلَاثَةٍ تَضْطَرِبُ ٱلْأَرْضُ، وَأَرْبَعَةٌ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ ٱحْتِمَالَهَا:

There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:

٢٢ 22 تَحْتَ عَبْدٍ إِذَا مَلَكَ، وَأَحْمَقَ إِذَا شَبِعَ خُبْزًا،

[What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,

٢٣ 23 تَحْتَ شَنِيعَةٍ إِذَا تَزَوَّجَتْ، وَأَمَةٍ إِذَا وَرَثَتْ سَيِّدَتَهَا.

[what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.

٢٤ 24 أَرْبَعَةٌ هِيَ ٱلْأَصْغَرُ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ، وَلَكِنَّهَا حَكِيمَةٌ جِدًّا:

[There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:

٢٥ 25 ٱلنَّمْلُ طَائِفَةٌ غَيْرُ قَوِيَّةٍ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يُعِدُّ طَعَامَهُ فِي ٱلصَّيْفِ.

Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].

٢٦ 26 ٱلْوِبَارُ طَائِفَةٌ ضَعِيفَةٌ، وَلَكِنَّهَا تَضَعُ بُيُوتَهَا فِي ٱلصَّخْرِ.

Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].

٢٧ 27 ٱلْجَرَادُ لَيْسَ لَهُ مَلِكٌ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يَخْرُجُ كُلُّهُ فِرَقًا فِرَقًا.

Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.

٢٨ 28 ٱلْعَنْكَبُوتُ تُمْسِكُ بِيَدَيْهَا، وَهِيَ فِي قُصُورِ ٱلْمُلُوكِ.

Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.

٢٩ 29 ثَلَاثَةٌ هِيَ حَسَنَةُ ٱلتَّخَطِّي، وَأَرْبَعَةٌ مَشْيُهَا مُسْتَحْسَنٌ:

[There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:

٣٠ 30 اَلْأَسَدُ جَبَّارُ ٱلْوُحُوشِ، وَلَا يَرْجِعُ مِنْ قُدَّامِ أَحَدٍ،

Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;

٣١ 31 ضَامِرُ ٱلشَّاكِلَةِ، وَٱلتَّيْسُ، وَٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلَّذِي لَا يُقَاوَمُ.

male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.

٣٢ 32 إِنْ حَمِقْتَ بِٱلتَّرَفُّعِ وَإِنْ تَآمَرْتَ، فَضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى فَمِكَ،

If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!

٣٣ 33 لِأَنَّ عَصْرَ ٱللَّبَنِ يُخْرِجُ جُبْنًا، وَعَصْرَ ٱلْأَنْفِ يُخْرِجُ دَمًا، وَعَصْرَ ٱلْغَضَبِ يُخْرِجُ خِصَامًا.

If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.