Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
Words of Agur, son of Jakeh, the burden, a declaration of the man to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 “Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
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 went up to the heavens, and comes down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His Name? And what [is] His Son’s Name? Surely you know!
5 Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
6 Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
7 Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold 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:
Put vanity and a lying word far from me, Do not give poverty or wealth to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
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 become satiated, and have denied, And have said, “Who [is] YHWH?” And lest I am poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the Name of my God.
10 Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
A generation lightly esteems their father, And does 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 generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
13 There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, 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—their teeth [are] swords, And their jaw-teeth [are] knives, To consume the poor from 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:
To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
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 a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (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.
An eye that mocks at a father, And despises to obey a mother, Ravens of the valley dig it out, And young eagles eat it.
18 Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
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 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: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
So—the way of an adulterous woman, She has eaten and has wiped her mouth, And has said, “I have not done iniquity.”
21 Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
22 Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
24 There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the 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, And they prepare their food in summer,
26 The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
27 The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
28 The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
30 The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
31 The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
32 If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
If you have been foolish in lifting yourself up, And if you have devised evil—hand to 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 brings out butter, And the wringing of the nose brings out blood, And the forcing of anger brings out strife!
