Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
2 “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
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 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?
5 Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
6 Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
7 Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
Two things I ask of you; take not favour from me 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 vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
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 filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
10 Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
11 There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
13 There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
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.
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 amongst 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 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.
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)
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)
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 laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
18 Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth 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 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.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
21 Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
22 Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
23 Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
24 There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
26 The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
28 The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
29 Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
30 The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
31 The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
and a cock walking in boldly amongst the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
32 If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
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.
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.
