Proverbs 30
1 THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even 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 more brutish than any 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 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
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 pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust 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 required 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 vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
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 thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
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 Accuse 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 curseth their father, and doth 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 is 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, O 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 jaw 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 horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is 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 filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is 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 eagles 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 be 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 maid.
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 Such 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 is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
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 an 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 be 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 prepare their meat in the summer;
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
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 taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a 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 thought evil, lay thine 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 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, 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.
