Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the utterance: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
2 Surely I am more like an animal than any human and I do not have the understanding of a human being.
For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.
God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has gathered up the waters in a 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!
Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
5 Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he will discipline you, and you will be proved to be a liar.
Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you, do not withhold them from me before I die:
Two things I ask of you; take not favor from me before I die.
8 Put vanity and lies far away from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, just give me the food I need.
Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
9 For if I have too much, I might deny you and say, “Who is Yahweh?” Or if I become poor, I might steal and profane the name of my God.
lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
10 Do not slander a slave before his master, or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
11 There is a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother.
A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not washed of their filth.
A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
13 There is a generation whose eyes are raised up, and how high are their eyelids lifted up!
A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jawbones are like knives, so they may devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
A wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw teeth [as] knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give and give” they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough”:
The horse-leech had three dearly beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
16 Sheol; the barren womb; land that is never satisfied with water; and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, his eyes will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, and he will be eaten by the vultures.
The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonors the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
18 There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand:
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and she wipes her mouth and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
21 Under three things the earth trembles, and under four it cannot bear up:
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
22 a slave when he becomes king; a fool when he is filled with food;
if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
23 a hated woman when she marries; and a maid when she takes the place of her mistress.
or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
24 Four things on earth are small and yet they are very wise:
And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
25 the ants are creatures that are not strong, but they prepare their food in the summer;
the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
26 the rock badgers are not mighty creatures, but they make their homes in the rocks.
the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
27 Locusts have no king, but all of them march in rank.
The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
28 As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands, yet they are found in kings' palaces.
And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
29 There are three things that are stately in their stride and four that are stately in how they walk:
And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
30 a lion, strongest among wild animals— it does not turn away from anything;
A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
31 a strutting rooster; a goat; and a king whose soldiers are beside him.
and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil— put your hand over your mouth.
If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
33 As churning milk makes butter and as one's nose will produce blood if it is twisted, so deeds done in anger produce conflict.
Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if you wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if you extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
