מִשְׁלֵי 30

1 דִּבְרֵי ׀ אָגוּר בִּן־יָקֶה הַמַּשָּׂא נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר לְאִֽיתִיאֵל לְאִיתִיאֵל וְאֻכָֽל׃

The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,

2 כִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ וְלֹֽא־בִינַת אָדָם לִֽי׃

“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.

3 וְלֹֽא־לָמַדְתִּי חׇכְמָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָֽע׃

Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.

4 מִי עָלָֽה־שָׁמַיִם ׀ וַיֵּרַד מִי אָֽסַף־רוּחַ ׀ בְּחׇפְנָיו מִי צָֽרַר־מַיִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָה מִי הֵקִים כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ מַה־שְּׁמוֹ וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָֽע׃

Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest it?”

5 כׇּל־אִמְרַת אֱלוֹהַּ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לַחֹסִים בּֽוֹ׃

Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.

6 אַל־תּוֹסְףְּ עַל־דְּבָרָיו פֶּן־יוֹכִיחַ בְּךָ וְנִכְזָֽבְתָּ׃

Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 שְׁתַּיִם שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ אַל־תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי בְּטֶרֶם אָמֽוּת׃

Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.

8 שָׁוְא ׀ וּֽדְבַר־כָּזָב הַרְחֵק מִמֶּנִּי רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּֽתֶּן־לִי הַטְרִיפֵנִי לֶחֶם חֻקִּֽי׃

Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto me:

9 פֶּן אֶשְׂבַּע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מִי יְהֹוָה וּפֶֽן־אִוָּרֵשׁ וְגָנַבְתִּי וְתָפַשְׂתִּי שֵׁם אֱלֹהָֽי׃

Lest I become over-full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against the name of my God.

10 אַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָו פֶּֽן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָֽׁמְתָּ׃

Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.

11 דּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.

12 דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָֽץ׃

There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.

13 דּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃

There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.

14 דּוֹר ׀ חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו וּֽמַאֲכָלוֹת מְֽתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיוֹנִים מֵאָדָֽם׃

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

15 לַעֲלוּקָה ׀ שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַ ב ׀ הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הֽוֹן׃

Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:

16 שְׁאוֹל וְעֹצֶר רָחַם אֶרֶץ לֹא־שָׂבְעָה מַּיִם וְאֵשׁ לֹא־אָמְרָה הֽוֹן׃ (Sheol h7585)

The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough. (Sheol h7585)

17 עַיִן ׀ תִּלְעַג לְאָב וְתָבֻז לִֽיקְּהַת־אֵם יִקְּרוּהָ עֹֽרְבֵי־נַחַל וְֽיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃

The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.

18 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי (וארבע) [וְאַרְבָּעָה] לֹא יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:

19 דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר ׀ בַּשָּׁמַיִם דֶּרֶךְ נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי־צוּר דֶּֽרֶךְ־אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב־יָם וְדֶרֶךְ גֶּבֶר בְּעַלְמָֽה׃

The way of the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 כֵּן ׀ דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא־פָעַלְתִּי אָֽוֶן׃

Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.

21 תַּחַת שָׁלוֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְתַחַת אַרְבַּע לֹא־תוּכַל שְׂאֵֽת׃

Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:

22 תַּֽחַת־עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְנָבָל כִּי יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;

23 תַּחַת שְׂנוּאָה כִּי תִבָּעֵל וְשִׁפְחָה כִּֽי־תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽהּ׃

Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.

24 אַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּי־אָרֶץ וְהֵמָּה חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃

There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:

25 הַנְּמָלִים עַם לֹא־עָז וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָֽם׃

The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;

26 שְׁפַנִּים עַם לֹא־עָצוּם וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָֽם׃

The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;

27 מֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;

28 שְׂמָמִית בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ וְהִיא בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃

The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.

29 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד וְאַרְבָּעָה מֵיטִבֵי לָֽכֶת׃

Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:

30 לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹֽל׃

The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;

31 זַרְזִיר מׇתְנַיִם אוֹ־תָיִשׁ וּמֶלֶךְ אַלְקוּם עִמּֽוֹ׃

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

32 אִם־נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא וְאִם־זַמּוֹתָ יָד לְפֶֽה׃

If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:

33 כִּי מִיץ חָלָב יוֹצִיא חֶמְאָה וּֽמִיץ־אַף יוֹצִיא דָם וּמִיץ אַפַּיִם יוֹצִיא רִֽיב׃

For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.