מִשְׁלֵי 30

1 דִּבְרֵ֤י ׀ אָג֥וּר בִּן־יָקֶ֗ה הַמַּ֫שָּׂ֥א נְאֻ֣ם הַ֭גֶּבֶר לְאִֽיתִיאֵ֑ל לְאִ֖יתִיאֵ֣ל וְאֻכָֽל׃

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, [even] unto Ithiel and Ucal:

2 כִּ֤י בַ֣עַר אָנֹכִ֣י מֵאִ֑ישׁ וְלֹֽא־בִינַ֖ת אָדָ֣ם לִֽי׃

Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

3 וְלֹֽא־לָמַ֥דְתִּי חָכְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים אֵדָֽע׃

I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.

4 מִ֤י עָלָֽה־שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ מַה־שְּׁמֹ֥ו וּמַֽה־שֶּׁם־בְּ֝נֹ֗ו כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע׃

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

5 כָּל־אִמְרַ֣ת אֱלֹ֣והַּ צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לַֽחֹסִ֥ים בֹּֽו׃

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6 אַל־תֹּ֥וסְףְּ עַל־דְּבָרָ֑יו פֶּן־יֹוכִ֖יחַ בְּךָ֣ וְנִכְזָֽבְתָּ׃ פ

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 שְׁ֭תַּיִם שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵאִתָּ֑ךְ אַל־תִּמְנַ֥ע מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי בְּטֶ֣רֶם אָמֽוּת׃

Two things do I ask of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:

8 שָׁ֤וְא ׀ וּֽדְבַר־כָּזָ֡ב הַרְחֵ֬ק מִמֶּ֗נִּי רֵ֣אשׁ וָ֭עֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּֽתֶּן־לִ֑י הַ֝טְרִיפֵ֗נִי לֶ֣חֶם חֻקִּֽי׃

Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

9 פֶּ֥ן אֶשְׂבַּ֨ע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי֮ וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מִ֥י יְה֫וָ֥ה וּפֶֽן־אִוָּרֵ֥שׁ וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי שֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹהָֽי׃ פ

lest I be full and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.

10 אַל־תַּלְשֵׁ֣ן עֶ֭בֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנֹו (אֲדֹנָ֑יו) פֶּֽן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ֥ וְאָשָֽׁמְתָּ׃

Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

11 דֹּ֭ור אָבִ֣יו יְקַלֵּ֑ל וְאֶת־אִ֝מֹּ֗ו לֹ֣א יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

12 דֹּ֭ור טָהֹ֣ור בְּעֵינָ֑יו וּ֝מִצֹּאָתֹ֗ו לֹ֣א רֻחָֽץ׃

there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;

13 דֹּ֭ור מָה־רָמ֣וּ עֵינָ֑יו וְ֝עַפְעַפָּ֗יו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃

there is a generation, — how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!

14 דֹּ֤ור ׀ חֲרָבֹ֣ות שִׁנָּיו֮ וּֽמַאֲכָלֹ֪ות מְֽתַלְּעֹ֫תָ֥יו לֶאֱכֹ֣ל עֲנִיִּ֣ים מֵאֶ֑רֶץ וְ֝אֶבְיֹונִ֗ים מֵאָדָֽם׃ פ

— a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men.

15 לֽ͏ַעֲלוּקָ֨ה ׀ שְׁתֵּ֥י בָנֹות֮ הַ֤ב ׀ הַ֥ב שָׁלֹ֣ושׁ הֵ֭נָּה לֹ֣א תִשְׂבַּ֑עְנָה אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־אָ֥מְרוּ הֹֽון׃

The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three [things] never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:

16 שְׁאֹול֮ וְעֹ֪צֶ֫ר רָ֥חַם אֶ֭רֶץ לֹא־שָׂ֣בְעָה מַּ֑יִם וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ לֹא־אָ֥מְרָה הֹֽון׃ (Sheol h7585)

— Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough. (Sheol h7585)

17 עַ֤יִן ׀ תִּֽלְעַ֣ג לְאָב֮ וְתָב֪וּז לִֽיקֲּהַ֫ת־אֵ֥ם יִקְּר֥וּהָ עֹרְבֵי־נַ֑חַל וְֽיֹאכְל֥וּהָ בְנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃ פ

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

18 שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה נִפְלְא֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נִּי וְאַרְבָּע (וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה) לֹ֣א יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

There are three [things] too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

19 דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַנֶּ֨שֶׁר ׀ בַּשָּׁמַיִם֮ דֶּ֥רֶךְ נָחָ֗שׁ עֲלֵ֫י צ֥וּר דֶּֽרֶךְ־אֳנִיָּ֥ה בְלֶב־יָ֑ם וְדֶ֖רֶךְ גֶּ֣בֶר בְּעַלְמָֽה׃

The way of an eagle in the heavens, 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 maid.

20 כֵּ֤ן ׀ דֶּ֥רֶךְ אִשָּׁ֗ה מְנָ֫אָ֥פֶת אָ֭כְלָה וּמָ֣חֲתָה פִ֑יהָ וְ֝אָמְרָ֗ה לֹֽא־פָעַ֥לְתִּי אָֽוֶן׃ פ

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

21 תַּ֣חַת שָׁ֭לֹושׁ רָ֣גְזָה אֶ֑רֶץ וְתַ֥חַת אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־תוּכַ֥ל שְׂאֵֽת׃

Under three [things] the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

22 תַּֽחַת־עֶ֭בֶד כִּ֣י יִמְלֹ֑וךְ וְ֝נָבָ֗ל כִּ֣י יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־לָֽחֶם׃

Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;

23 תַּ֣חַת שְׂ֭נוּאָה כִּ֣י תִבָּעֵ֑ל וְ֝שִׁפְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־תִירַ֥שׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽהּ׃ פ

under an odious [woman] when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.

24 אַרְבָּ֣עָה הֵ֭ם קְטַנֵּי־אָ֑רֶץ וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃

There are four [things] little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:

25 הַ֭נְּמָלִים עַ֣ם לֹא־עָ֑ז וַיָּכִ֖ינוּ בַקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָֽם׃

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

26 שְׁ֭פַנִּים עַ֣ם לֹא־עָצ֑וּם וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ בַסֶּ֣לַע בֵּיתָֽם׃

the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;

27 מֶ֭לֶךְ אֵ֣ין לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֖א חֹצֵ֣ץ כֻּלֹּֽו׃

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

28 שְׂ֭מָמִית בְּיָדַ֣יִם תְּתַפֵּ֑שׂ וְ֝הִ֗יא בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃ פ

thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

29 שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה מֵיטִ֣יבֵי צָ֑עַד וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה מֵיטִ֥בֵי לָֽכֶת׃

There are three [things] which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:

30 לַ֭יִשׁ גִּבֹּ֣ור בַּבְּהֵמָ֑ה וְלֹא־יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹֽל׃

The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;

31 זַרְזִ֣יר מָתְנַ֣יִם אֹו־תָ֑יִשׁ וּ֝מֶ֗לֶךְ אַלְק֥וּם עִמֹּֽו׃

a [horse] girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

32 אִם־נָבַ֥לְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂ֑א וְאִם־זַ֝מֹּ֗ותָ יָ֣ד לְפֶֽה׃

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] the hand upon thy mouth.

33 כִּ֤י מִ֪יץ חָלָ֡ב יֹ֘וצִ֤יא חֶמְאָ֗ה וּֽמִיץ־אַ֭ף יֹ֣וצִיא דָ֑ם וּמִ֥יץ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם יֹ֣וצִיא רִֽיב׃ פ

For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.