Proverbs 30
1 These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.
The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
2 Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— surely you know!
Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest it?”
5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die:
Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto me:
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
Lest I become over-full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11 There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
13 There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
14 there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men.
There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and whose string teeth are as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:
16 Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ (Sheol h7585)
The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
The way of the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23 an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
27 the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28 and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
33 For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.
