Proverbs 30
30
The Sayings of Agur
1These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. These sayings came from God.
This man said to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God.
But I can still have success.
2Surely I am only a dumb animal and not a man.
I don’t understand as other men do.
3I haven’t learned wisdom.
And I don’t know the things the Holy One knows.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a coat?
Who has set in place all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name? What is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5“Every word of God is perfect.
He is like a shield to those who trust in him.
He keeps them safe.
6Don’t add to his words.
If you do, he will correct you.
He will prove that you are a liar.
7“Lord, I ask you for two things.
Don’t refuse me before I die.
8Keep lies far away from me.
Don’t make me either poor or rich,
but give me only the bread I need each day.
9If you don’t, I might have too much.
Then I might say I don’t know you.
I might say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
Or I might become poor and steal.
Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.
10“Don’t tell lies about a servant when you talk to their master.
If you do, they will curse you, and you will pay for your lies.
11“Some people curse their fathers.
Others don’t bless their mothers.
12Some are pure in their own eyes.
But their dirty sins haven’t been washed away.
13Some have eyes that are very proud.
They look down on others.
14Some people have teeth like swords.
The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives.
They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth.
They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.
15“A leech has two daughters.
They cry out, ‘Give! Give!’
“Three things are never satisfied.
Four things never say, ‘Enough!’
16The first is the grave.
The second is a woman who can’t have a baby.
The third is land, which never gets enough water.
And the fourth is fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17“One person makes fun of their father.
Another doesn’t honor their mother when she is old.
The ravens of the valley will peck out their eyes.
Then the vultures will eat them.
18“Three things are too amazing for me.
There are four things I don’t understand.
19The first is the way of an eagle in the sky.
The second is the way of a snake on a rock.
The third is the way of a ship on the ocean.
And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman.
20“This is the way of a woman who commits adultery.
She eats and wipes her mouth.
Then she says, ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’
21“Under three things the earth shakes.
Under four things it can’t stand up.
22The first is a servant who becomes a king.
The second is a foolish and ungodly person who gets plenty to eat.
23The third is a mean woman who gets married.
And the fourth is a servant who takes the place of the woman she works for.
24“Four things on earth are small.
But they are very wise.
25The first are ants, which aren’t very strong.
But they store up their food in the summer.
26The second are hyraxes, which aren’t very powerful.
But they make their home among the rocks.
27The third are locusts, which don’t have a king.
But they all march forward in ranks.
28And the fourth are lizards, which your hand can catch.
But you will find them in kings’ palaces.
29“Three things walk as if they were kings.
Four things move as kings do.
30The first is a lion, which is mighty among the animals. It doesn’t back away from anything.
31The second is a rooster, which walks proudly.
The third is a billy goat.
And the fourth is a king, who is secure against any who might oppose him.
32“Do you do foolish things?
Do you think you are better than others?
Do you plan evil?
If you do, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
33If you churn cream, you will produce butter.
If you twist a nose, you will produce blood.
And if you stir up anger, you will produce a fight.”
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Proverbs 30: NIrV
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Proverbs 30
30
The Words of Agur
1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.#30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa
The man declares, I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.#30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal
2Surely I am too #See Ps. 49:10stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of #ch. 9:10the Holy One.
4Who has #John 3:13 ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has #[Isa. 40:12]; See Job 38:4-11; Ps. 104:3-6 gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has #Job 26:8 wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all #Ps. 22:27 the ends of the earth?
# [Rev. 19:12] What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5 #
Ps. 12:6; 18:30 Every word of God proves true;
he is #See Ps. 3:3a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 #
Deut. 4:2; 12:32; [Rev. 22:18] Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7Two things I ask of you;
deny them not to me #Gen. 45:28before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that is #Job 23:12; Matt. 6:11; Luke 11:3needful for me,
9lest I be #Deut. 8:12; 31:20; 32:15; Neh. 9:25; [ver. 22] full and #Josh. 24:27 deny you
and say, #Ex. 5:2 “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
# [Job 21:14, 15]; See Ex. 20:7 and profane the name of my God.
10 # [Ps. 15:3; 101:5] Do not slander a servant to his master,
#
Eccles. 7:21
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11There are those#30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14 who #ch. 20:20; [ver. 17]; See Ex. 21:17curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12There are those who are #ch. 16:2; [Luke 18:11; Rev. 3:17]clean in their own eyes
but are not washed of their filth.
13There are those—how #See Ps. 101:5lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!
14There are those whose teeth are #See Ps. 57:4 swords,
whose #Job 29:17 fangs are knives,
to #See Ps. 14:4devour the poor from off the earth,
the needy from among mankind.
15The leech has two daughters:
Give and Give.#30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry
# ver. 18, 21, 29; [ch. 6:16] Three things are never satisfied;
# ver. 18, 21, 29; [ch. 6:16] four never say, “Enough”:
16 # See ch. 27:20 Sheol, #[Gen. 30:1]the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
17The eye that #[ver. 11; Gen. 9:22] mocks a father
and #[ch. 23:22] scorns to obey a mother
will #[Num. 16:14] be picked out by #[Jer. 16:4]the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
18 # [See ver. 15 above] Three things are #See Job 42:3too wonderful for me;
# [See ver. 15 above] four I do not understand:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.
20This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21Under #[See ver. 15 above] three things #Joel 2:10; Amos 8:8the earth trembles;
under #[See ver. 15 above] four it cannot bear up:
22 # ch. 19:10 a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is #[ver. 9]filled with food;
23 #
Deut. 21:15 an unloved woman when she #[Isa. 54:1; 62:4]gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 # [See ver. 15 above] Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 # ch. 6:6-8 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 #
Lev. 11:5; Ps. 104:18 the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27the locusts have no #[ch. 6:7] king,
yet all of them march in #[Joel 2:7, 8, 25]rank;
28the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 # ver. 15, 18, 21; [ch. 6:16] Three things are stately in their tread;
# ver. 15, 18, 21; [ch. 6:16] four are stately in their stride:
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and #[Job 39:22]does not turn back before any;
31the #[Job 40:16]strutting rooster,#30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.#30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up
32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
#
Mic. 7:16; See Job 21:5 put your hand on your mouth.
33For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
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