Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3 Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
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 went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5 Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
6 Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
7 Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from 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:
Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of 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.
Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
12 A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
13 A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.
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.
A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from 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!
To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'
16 Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, Enough! (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (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.
An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.
18 Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
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 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.
20 So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'
21 Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:
22 Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
24 Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
26 The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
27 King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,
28 The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
30 The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
31 The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.
32 If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to 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 the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!
