Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— surely you know!
5 Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
Two things I ask of You— do not refuse me before I die:
8 Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
9 Lest I be full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
11 A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
13 A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
14 A generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of the earth, and the needy, from among men.
there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men.
15 The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, Enough!
The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, Enough! (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocketh a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
18 Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
20 So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
22 Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
23 Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
24 Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
28 The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
29 Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:
30 The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
31 The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
32 If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
