Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the utterance: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
Words of Agur, son of Jakeh, the burden, a declaration of the man to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
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 more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
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 went up to the heavens, and comes down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His Name? And what [is] His Son’s Name? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting in Him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he will discipline you, and you will be proved to be a liar.
Do not add to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
7 Two things I ask of you, do not withhold them from me before I die:
Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold 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.
Put vanity and a lying word far from me, Do not give poverty or wealth to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
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 become satiated, and have denied, And have said, “Who [is] YHWH?” And lest I am poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the Name of my God.
10 Do not slander a slave before his master, or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, Lest he disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
11 There is a generation that curses their father and does not bless their mother.
A generation lightly esteems their father, And does 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 generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
13 There is a generation whose eyes are raised up, and how high are their eyelids lifted up!
A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, their eyelids are lifted up.
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 generation—their teeth [are] swords, And their jaw-teeth [are] knives, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy 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”:
To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
16 Sheol; the barren womb; land that is never satisfied with water; and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (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.
An eye that mocks at a father, And despises to obey a mother, Ravens of the valley dig it out, And young eagles eat it.
18 There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand:
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
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 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 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and she wipes her mouth and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
So—the way of an adulterous woman, She has eaten and has wiped her mouth, And has said, “I have not done iniquity.”
21 Under three things the earth trembles, and under four it cannot bear up:
For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
22 a slave when he becomes king; a fool when he is filled with food;
For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 a hated woman when she marries; and a maid when she takes the place of her mistress.
For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small and yet they are very wise:
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 the ants are creatures that are not strong, but they prepare their food in the summer;
The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare their food in summer,
26 the rock badgers are not mighty creatures, but they make their homes in the rocks.
hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
27 Locusts have no king, but all of them march in rank.
There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
28 As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands, yet they are found in kings' palaces.
A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things that are stately in their stride and four that are stately in how they walk:
There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
30 a lion, strongest among wild animals— it does not turn away from anything;
An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
31 a strutting rooster; a goat; and a king whose soldiers are beside him.
A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil— put your hand over your mouth.
If you have been foolish in lifting yourself up, And if you have devised evil—hand to mouth!
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.
For the churning of milk brings out butter, And the wringing of the nose brings out blood, And the forcing of anger brings out strife!
