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. An oracle. This is what the man says, God, I'm really tired, I'm worn out.
2 Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
I have not learned wisdom; 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 gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?
5 Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
7 Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
8 Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
Keep me from being false, help me not to tell lies. Don't make me poor or rich; just provide me with the food I need.
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 if I have plenty of money, I may give up on you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” while if I'm poor I may steal and bring the name of my God into disrepute.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
11 A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
There are some 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 are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
13 A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
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 are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
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 who cry out, “Give me! Give me!” 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)
The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the 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.
People who ridicule their fathers and despise obedience to the mother will have their eyes pecked out by wild ravens and eaten by young vultures.
18 Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't 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 an eagle soars in the sky, the way a snake slides over a rock, the way a ship sails across the sea, the way a man and a woman fall in love.
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 a woman who commits adultery: she eats, she wipes her mouth, and then says, “I haven't done anything wrong!”
21 Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and 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.
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
