Proverbs 30
1 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.
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2 For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man:
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
And I have not learned wisdom, neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 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!
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] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
Every word of God is tried: he is a shield unto them that trust in him.
6 Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold from me before I die.
Two things have I asked of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:
8 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,
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me:
9 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.
Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and use profanely the name of my God.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
Slander not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
11 A generation lightly esteems their father, And does not bless their mother.
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 A generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes; and [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.
13 A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, their eyelids are lifted up.
There is a generation, Oh how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14 A generation—their teeth [are] swords, And their jaw-teeth [are] knives, To consume the poor from 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 To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
The horseleach hath two daughters, [Crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [yea], four that say not, Enough:
16 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (Sheol h7585)
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 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.
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 have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 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.
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 maid.
20 So—the way of an adulterous woman, She has eaten and has wiped her mouth, And has said, “I have not done iniquity.”
So is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
For three things the earth doth tremble, and for four, [which] it cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
For a servant when he is king; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare their food in summer,
The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their meat in the summer;
26 hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
The lizard taketh hold with her hands, yet is she in kings’ palaces,
29 There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
There be three things which are stately in their march, yea, four which are stately in going:
30 An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If you have been foolish in lifting yourself up, And if you have devised evil—hand to mouth!
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy mouth.
33 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!
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.
