Proverbs 30
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
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.
2 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
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!
5 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you; take not favour from me before I die.
Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
9 lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
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.
10 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
11 A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
14 A wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw teeth [as] knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from amongst men.
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.
15 The horse-leech had three dearly beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
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.
18 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19 the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.
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.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
23 or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
24 And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
28 And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:
30 A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
31 and a cock walking in boldly amongst the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
32 If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if you wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if you extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
