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, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5 Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet 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,
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed 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, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12 There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
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 generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of 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! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, 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)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, 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 a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18 Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
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 heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart 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.”
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she 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 reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited 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.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25 the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
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 acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [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.”
Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
