Proverbs 30

1 These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.

THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

2 It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.

Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3 I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.

I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

4 [But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

5 Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6 Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 [God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8 Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9 because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

10 Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.

Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

11 [I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12 Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

13 Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14 Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.

There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15 Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:

The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16 The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)

17 Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.

The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18 There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:

There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

19 How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.

The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

20 This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”

Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21 There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

22 [What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,

For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23 [what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.

For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24 [There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:

There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

25 Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].

The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26 Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27 Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28 Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

29 [There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:

There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

30 Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;

A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31 male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

32 If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33 If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.

Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.