Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
These are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An oracle. This is what the man says, God, I'm really tired, I'm worn out.
2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man,
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 and I have not learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.
I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou know?
Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?
5 Every word of God is tried. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Add thou not to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny me not before I die:
God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
Keep me from being false, help me not to tell lies. Don't make me poor or rich; just provide me with the food I need.
9 lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor, and steal, and use the name of my God profanely.
Otherwise if I have plenty of money, I may give up on you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” while if I'm poor I may steal and bring the name of my God into disrepute.
10 Slander not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
11 There is a generation who curses their father, and does not bless their mother.
There are some who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 There is a generation who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
There are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes, and their eyelids are lifted up.
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw teeth, knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
There are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
15 The leach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four that do not say, Enough:
The leech has two daughters who cry out, “Give me! Give me!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 Sheol, and the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that does not say, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocks at his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
People who ridicule their fathers and despise obedience to the mother will have their eyes pecked out by wild ravens and eaten by young vultures.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
The way an eagle soars in the sky, the way a snake slides over a rock, the way a ship sails across the sea, the way a man and a woman fall in love.
20 So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no iniquity.
This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: she eats, she wipes her mouth, and then says, “I haven't done anything wrong!”
21 For three things the earth trembles, and for four, which it cannot bear:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 For a servant when he is king, and a fool when he is filled with food,
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 for a hateful woman when she is married, and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer,
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 the conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks,
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands,
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 the lizard takes hold with her hands, yet she is in kings' palaces.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 There are three things which are stately in their march, yea, four which are stately in going:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, and turns not away from any,
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 the greyhound, also the he-goat, and the king against whom there is no rising up.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 If thou have done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou have thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.
If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and put your hand over your mouth.
33 For the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood, so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
