Proverbs 30
1 The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spoke unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?
Who has ascended up into heaven, or descended? who has gathered the wind in his fists? who has bound the waters in a garment? who has established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you can tell?
5 Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
Add you not unto his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
Two things have I required of you; deny me them not before I die:
8 Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God.
Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
11 There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
There is a generation that curses their father, and does not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men.
There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:
The horseleach has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’ (Sheol h7585)
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that says not, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it.
The eye that mocks at his father, and despises to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in adolescence.
The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20 Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done no wickedness.
21 By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22 by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
For a servant when he reigns; and a fool when he is filled with food;
23 by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.
For an abhorrent woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25 the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
The spider takes hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
29 There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turns not away for any;
31 a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth.
If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth.
33 But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.”
Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood: so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.
