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:
These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
2 “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
God has taught me wisdom, and I know 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 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?
5 Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
6 Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
Two things I ask of you; take not favor from me 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 falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
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 filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
11 There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
13 There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
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.
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 among men.
15 The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:
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.
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 love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, 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 laughs to scorn a father, and dishonors the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
18 Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth 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 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.
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, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
21 By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
22 by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
if a servant reign; or a fool be 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.
or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
24 Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
25 the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
26 the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
28 The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
29 There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
30 a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
31 a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
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 abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
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.”
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.
