Proverbs 30
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, even his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.
2 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most Holy.
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 hath gone up into heaven and come down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound up the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what his son's name, if thou knowest?
5 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to them that put their trust in him.
6 Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
Add not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you; take not favour from me before I die.
Two things do I ask of thee; Withhold them not from 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:
Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food which is needful for me;
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.
Lest I be full, and deny thee, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor, and steal, And violate 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.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
11 A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
There is a class of men that 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 class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
There is a class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids lifted up!
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 class, whose teeth are swords, And their jaw-teeth knives, To devour the poor from off 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 vampire hath two daughters; “Give! give!” [[is their cry.]] There are three things which are never satisfied; Yea, four which say not, “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)
The underworld, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not satiated with water, And fire, which never saith, “It is 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.
The eye that mocketh at a father, And scorneth to obey a mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it.
18 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand not:
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 track of an eagle in the air, The track of a serpent upon a rock, The track of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the track of a man with a maid.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, “I have done nothing wrong.”
21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
23 or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
24 And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
There are four things which are small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.
25 the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
26 the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.
28 And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 and a cock walking in boldly amongst the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
32 If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
If thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on thy 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 pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese, And as the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood, So the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
