Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, [even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:
These are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An oracle. This is what the man says, God, I'm really tired, I'm worn out.
2 Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.
I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
7 Two things do I ask of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:
God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:
Keep me from being false, help me not to tell lies. Don't make me poor or rich; just provide me with the food I need.
9 lest I be full and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.
Otherwise if I have plenty of money, I may give up on you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” while if I'm poor I may steal and bring the name of my God into disrepute.
10 Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;
There are some who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;
There are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
13 there is a generation, — how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
14 — a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men.
There are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
15 The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three [things] never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:
The leech has two daughters who cry out, “Give me! Give me!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 — Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
People who ridicule their fathers and despise obedience to the mother will have their eyes pecked out by wild ravens and eaten by young vultures.
18 There are three [things] too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the heavens, 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.
The way an eagle soars in the sky, the way a snake slides over a rock, the way a ship sails across the sea, the way a man and a woman fall in love.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: she eats, she wipes her mouth, and then says, “I haven't done anything wrong!”
21 Under three [things] the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 under an odious [woman] when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 There are four [things] little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 There are three [things] which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 a [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.
If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and put your hand over your mouth.
33 For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
