< 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, even his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.
2 For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most Holy.
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 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 Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to them that put their trust in him.
6 Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
Add not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.
Two things do I ask of thee; Withhold them not from me, 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 the food which is needful for me;
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 thee, And say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor, and steal, And violate the name of my God.
10 Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
11 A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
There is a class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.
12 A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
There is a class who 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 class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids 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 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 To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'
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 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (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 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 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 Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand 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 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 So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, “I have done nothing wrong.”
21 For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;
23 For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh 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 small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.
25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
26 Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.
27 A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,
The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.
28 A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.
The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
32 If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!
If thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on 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, 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.

< Proverbs 30 >