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 his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.
2 “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most 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 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 Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to 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 not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to 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 lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,
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 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 thee, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor, and steal, And violate the name of my God.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
11 There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
There is a class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.
12 There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
There is a class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are 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 class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids 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 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 leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘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 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 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 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 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 Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand 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 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 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 eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, “I have done nothing wrong.”
21 By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
23 by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
24 Four things are least upon the earth, and they 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, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
26 the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.
28 The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
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 thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on thy 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.”
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.
