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 prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, [even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2 “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I 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 hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? 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 pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust 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 do I ask 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 vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:
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 outrage the name of my God.
10 Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
Speak not too much about a servant to 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 curseth their father, and doth 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.
there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, 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, — how lofty are their eyes, how 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.
— a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted 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 leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three [things] never satisfied; four which say not, It is 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 which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, 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 mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a 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] too wonderful for me, and four that 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 heavens, 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.
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: 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:
Under three [things] the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:
22 Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;
23 Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
under an odious [woman] when she is married, and a handmaid when she 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] little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
The ants, 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 rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;
27 The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
the locusts have no king, yet they go 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.
thou takest hold of the lizard with the 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 have a stately step, and four are comely in going:
30 The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;
31 The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
a [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise 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] the 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 pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
