Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2 “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 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?”
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?
5 Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.
6 Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me [them] not before I die:
8 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:
Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
9 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.
Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.
10 Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 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.
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.
15 Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:
The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [Yea], four that say not, Enough:
16 The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 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.
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.
18 Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:
19 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.
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 maiden.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, [which] it cannot bear:
22 Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;
23 Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
The lizard taketh hold with her hands, Yet is she in kings’ palaces.
29 Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, four which are stately in going:
30 The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any;
31 The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
The greyhound; the he-goat also; And the king against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, [Lay] thy hand upon thy mouth.
33 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.
For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
