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:
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 For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a 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, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
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 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 tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting 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 to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
7 I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold from 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:
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 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 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 say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
11 There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
A generation lightly esteems their father, And does not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
A generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
13 There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, their eyelids are 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.
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 night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
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)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (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.
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, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
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 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 a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no 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 For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
22 A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the 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, And they prepare their food in summer,
26 The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
27 The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
28 You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
30 The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
31 The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
32 If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, 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 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 churning of milk brings out butter, And the wringing of the nose brings out blood, And the forcing of anger brings out strife!
