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—the utterance: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Surely I am more like an animal than any human and I do not have the understanding of a human being.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have 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 has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has gathered up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Do not add to his words, or he will discipline you, and you will be proved to be a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
Two things I ask of you, do not withhold them 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:
Put vanity and lies far away from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, just give me 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.
For if I have too much, I might deny you and say, “Who is Yahweh?” Or if I become poor, I might steal and profane the name of my God.
10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Do not slander a slave before his master, or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
There is a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother.
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not washed of their filth.
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
There is a generation whose eyes are raised up, and how high 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 generation whose teeth are swords, and their jawbones are like knives, so they may devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
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: “Give and give” they cry. 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)
Sheol; the barren womb; land that is never satisfied with 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.
The eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, his eyes will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, and he will be eaten by the vultures.
18 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that 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 sky; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
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 an adulteress: she eats and she wipes her mouth and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Under three things the earth trembles, and under four it cannot bear up:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
a slave when he becomes king; a fool when he is filled with food;
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
a hated woman when she marries; and a maid when she takes the place of her mistress.
24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
Four things on earth are small and yet they are very wise:
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
the ants are creatures that are not strong, but they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
the rock badgers are not mighty creatures, but they make their homes in the rocks.
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
Locusts have no king, but all of them march in rank.
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands, yet they are found in kings' palaces.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
There are three things that are stately in their stride and four that are stately in how they walk:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
a lion, strongest among wild animals— it does not turn away from anything;
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
a strutting rooster; a goat; and a king whose soldiers are beside 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 you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil— 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.
As churning milk makes butter and as one's nose will produce blood if it is twisted, so deeds done in anger produce conflict.
