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 his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to 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.
Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most 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 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?
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; A shield is he to 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 not to his words, Lest he rebuke 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 do I ask of thee; Withhold them not from me, 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 falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food which is needful 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 violate the name of my God.
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.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
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 class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.
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 class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are 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 class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids 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 class, whose teeth are swords, And their jaw-teeth 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 vampire hath two daughters; “Give! give!” [[is their cry.]] There are three things which are never satisfied; Yea, four which say not, “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 underworld, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not satiated with water, And fire, which never saith, “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 a father, And scorneth to obey a 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:
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand 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 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.
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 nothing wrong.”
21 There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 [What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
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.
Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
24 [There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
There are four things which are small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.
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 in the summer their food.
26 Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make 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 do they all go forth in 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 lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 [There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
32 If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
If thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on 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.
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.
