מִשְׁלֵי 30

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

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spoke to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal,

2 כִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ וְלֹֽא־בִינַת אָדָם לִֽי׃

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

3 וְלֹֽא־לָמַדְתִּי חָכְמָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָֽע׃

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

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

Who hath ascended into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?

5 כָּל־אִמְרַת אֱלוֹהַּ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לַֽחֹסִים בּֽוֹ׃

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

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

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

7 שְׁתַּיִם שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ אַל־תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי בְּטֶרֶם אָמֽוּת׃

Two [things] have I required of thee; deny [them] not to me before I die:

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

Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

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

Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].

10 אַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־אדנו אֲדֹנָיו פֶּֽן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָֽׁמְתָּ׃

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

11 דּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

[There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12 דּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָֽץ׃

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

13 דּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃

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

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

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

15 לֽ͏ַעֲלוּקָה ׀ שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַב ׀ הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הֽוֹן׃

The horse-leech hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yes], four [things] say not, [It is] enough:

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

The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough. (Sheol h7585)

17 עַיִן ׀ תִּֽלְעַג לְאָב וְתָבוּז לִֽיקֲּהַת־אֵם יִקְּרוּהָ עֹרְבֵי־נַחַל וְֽיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי־נָֽשֶׁר׃

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

18 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי וארבע וְאַרְבָּעָה לֹא יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

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

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

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 maid.

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

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

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

For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and for four [which] it cannot bear:

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

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

23 תַּחַת שְׂנוּאָה כִּי תִבָּעֵל וְשִׁפְחָה כִּֽי־תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽהּ׃

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

24 אַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּי־אָרֶץ וְהֵמָּה חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃

There are four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] very wise:

25 הַנְּמָלִים עַם לֹא־עָז וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָֽם׃

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

26 שְׁפַנִּים עַם לֹא־עָצוּם וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָֽם׃

The conies [are but] a feeble people, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 מֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

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

28 שְׂמָמִית בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ וְהִיא בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces.

29 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד וְאַרְבָּעָה מֵיטִבֵי לָֽכֶת׃

There are three [things] which go well, yes, four are comely in going:

30 לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹֽל׃

A lion, [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31 זַרְזִיר מָתְנַיִם אוֹ־תָיִשׁ וּמֶלֶךְ אַלְקוּם עִמּֽוֹ׃

A greyhound; a he-goat also; and a king, against whom [there is] no rising up.

32 אִם־נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא וְאִם־זַמּוֹתָ יָד לְפֶֽה׃

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

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

Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.