Proverbs 30
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
4 Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
6 Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
7 Two things I ask of you; take not favor from me before I die.
Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.
8 Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
9 lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
10 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
12 A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.
14 A wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw teeth [as] knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.
A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.
15 The horse-leech had three dearly beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'
16 The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonors the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.
18 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
19 the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.
The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'
21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:
22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
24 And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
26 the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
27 The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,
28 And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
30 A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
31 and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.
32 If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!
33 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if you wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if you extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!
