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, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 hath ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5 Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge 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 unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet 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 falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed 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 be full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to 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 slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be 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! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
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 its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
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! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of 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:
The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, 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)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, 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 a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18 There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
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 an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
20 This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23 A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are 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, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers 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 thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted 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.
Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
