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, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 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 pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not 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 lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed 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 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 unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
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 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
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.
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 horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, 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)
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 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 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 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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 with a maid.
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 the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and 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 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
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 acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted 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.
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.
