Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
2 For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
3 I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
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 tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
6 Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
8 Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
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 For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
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 say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11 There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
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, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
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 like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need 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 night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which 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 The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which 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 The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
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, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl.
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 a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23 A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses 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, but they all go out in bands;
The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28 You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, 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 The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
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.
