Proverbs 30

1 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.

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the burden. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:

2 For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.

Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, and have not the understanding of a man;

3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.

And I have not learned wisdom, that I should have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4 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!

Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

5 Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.

Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him.

6 Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.

Two things have I asked of Thee; deny me them not before I die:

8 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,

Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with mine allotted bread;

9 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.

Lest I be full, and deny, and say: 'Who is the LORD?' Or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.

10 Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.

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

11 A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.

There is a generation that curse their father, and do not bless their mother.

12 A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.

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

13 A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.

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

14 A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.

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

15 To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'

The horseleech hath two daughters: 'Give, give.' There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four that say not: 'Enough':

16 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (Sheol h7585)

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not: 'Enough.' (Sheol h7585)

17 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.

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 vultures shall eat it.

18 Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:

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

19 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.

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 young woman.

20 So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'

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

21 For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:

For three things the earth doth quake, and for four it cannot endure:

22 For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,

For a servant when he reigneth; and a churl when he is filled with food;

23 For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.

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

24 Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:

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

25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,

The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

26 Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,

The rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the crags;

27 A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,

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

28 A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

The spider thou canst take with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

29 Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:

There are three things which are stately in their march, yea, four which are stately in going:

30 An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,

The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31 A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.

The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up.

32 If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

33 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!

For the churning of milk bringeth forth curd, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.