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, [even] the prophecy: the man spoke to Ithiel, even to 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.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
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 into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?
5 Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield to them that put their trust in him.
6 Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
Add thou not to 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 required of thee; deny [them] not to me 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 food convenient 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 take the name of my God [in vain].
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found 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, O 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 horse-leech hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yes], four [things] say not, [It is] 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 filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] 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 [its] father, and despiseth to obey [its] 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 are three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yes, 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.”
Such [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 is disquieted, 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 reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with food.
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 a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
There are four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] very 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 prepare their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
The conies [are but] a feeble people, yet they make 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 spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces.
29 There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
There are three [things] which go well, yes, four are comely in going:
30 An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
A lion, [which is] strongest 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.
A greyhound; a he-goat also; and a 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] thy 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!
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
