Proverbs 30
1 The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
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 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, 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 fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and 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 I have asked of thee, deny them not to me 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 lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
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 perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear 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 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
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 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and 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 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
14 A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor 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 horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: 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 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: 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 his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles 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 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
19 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 in youth.
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 also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
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 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his 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 And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
