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.
Words of Agur, son of Jakeh, the burden, a declaration of the man to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
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 went up to the heavens, and comes down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His Name? And what [is] His Son’s Name? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
6 Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
7 Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die:
Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold from 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.
Put vanity and a lying word far from me, Do not give poverty or wealth to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
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 satiated, and have denied, And have said, “Who [is] YHWH?” And lest I am poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of 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 accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
11 There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
A generation lightly esteems their father, And does not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
A generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
13 There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, their eyelids are 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.
A generation—their teeth [are] swords, And their jaw-teeth [are] knives, To consume the poor from 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!’:
To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
16 Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (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.
An eye that mocks at a father, And despises to obey a mother, Ravens of the valley dig it out, And young eagles eat it.
18 There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
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 heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
So—the way of an adulterous woman, She has eaten and has wiped her mouth, And has said, “I have not done iniquity.”
21 Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
22 a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the 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, And they prepare their food in summer,
26 the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
27 the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
28 and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
A spider with two hands takes hold, And 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:
There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
31 a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
32 If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
If you have been foolish in lifting yourself up, And if you have devised evil—hand to 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 churning of milk brings out butter, And the wringing of the nose brings out blood, And the forcing of anger brings out strife!
