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:
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 of 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 have not known the science of saints.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most Holy.
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 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 tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to them that put their trust in him.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Add not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not 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 beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of 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 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.
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 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
There is a class of men that 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 is a class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
There is a class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids lifted up!
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 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 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 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 the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is 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 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.
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 hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand not:
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 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 also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: 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 disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
24 There are four very little things of 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, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 A cock girded about the loins: and 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 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 thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on thy 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.
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.
