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 revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have 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 has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
5 Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold from me before I die.
“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny 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 falsehood 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, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11 A generation lightly esteems their father, And does not bless their mother.
There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.
12 A generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, 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! 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 like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from 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 leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘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 mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, 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 amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:
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 on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
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 eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
“For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:
22 For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
For a servant when he is king, 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 unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who 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 on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare their food in summer,
The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
26 hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
The hyraxes 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 they advance in ranks.
28 A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
“There are three things which are stately in their march, 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 animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31 A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
the greyhound; the male goat; 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 you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your 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 as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
