Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, even his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.
The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
2 Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most Holy.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath gone up into heaven and come down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound up the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what his son's name, if thou knowest?
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?”
5 Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to them that put their trust in him.
Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
6 Add not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.
Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things do I ask of thee; Withhold them not from me, before I die!
Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food which is needful for me;
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:
9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor, and steal, And violate the name of my God.
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.
10 Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11 There is a class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.
There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12 There is a class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
13 There is a class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids lifted up!
There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
14 There is a class, whose teeth are swords, And their jaw-teeth knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.
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.
15 The vampire hath two daughters; “Give! give!” [[is their cry.]] There are three things which are never satisfied; Yea, four which say not, “Enough!”
Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:
16 The underworld, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not satiated with water, And fire, which never saith, “It is enough!” (Sheol h7585)
The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocketh at a father, And scorneth to obey a mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it.
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.
18 These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand not:
Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
19 The track of an eagle in the air, The track of a serpent upon a rock, The track of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the track of a man with a maid.
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.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, “I have done nothing wrong.”
Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23 Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24 There are four things which are small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.
There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.
The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
27 The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.
The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28 The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on thy mouth!
If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
33 For, as the pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese, And as the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood, So the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
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.
