Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the burden. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
2 Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, and have not the understanding of a man;
“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
3 And I have not learned wisdom, that I should have the knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest it?”
5 Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him.
Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things have I asked of Thee; deny me them not before I die:
Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with mine allotted bread;
Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto me:
9 Lest I be full, and deny, and say: 'Who is the LORD?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.
Lest I become over-full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against the name of my God.
10 Slander not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11 There is a generation that curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12 There is 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 its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
13 There is a generation, Oh how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their great teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and whose string teeth are as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The horseleech hath two daughters: 'Give, give.' There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four that say not: 'Enough':
Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not: 'Enough.' (Sheol h7585)
The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young vultures shall eat it.
The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know 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 with a young woman.
The way of the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 So is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: 'I have done no wickedness.'
Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 For three things the earth doth quake, and for four it cannot endure:
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a churl when he is filled with food;
Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23 For an odious woman when she is married; and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 The rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the crags;
The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28 The spider thou canst take with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things which are stately in their march, yea, four which are stately in going:
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up.
The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.
If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth curd, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.
