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, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 I am the most foolish of 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 have not known the science of saints.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 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 tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not 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 beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of 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 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, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
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.
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 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! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, 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)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, 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 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 hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not 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 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 also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: 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 disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 There are four very little things of 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, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 A cock girded about the loins: and 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 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 acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [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.
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.
