Proverbs 30
30
The Sayings of Agur
1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.#30:1a Or son of Jakeh from Massa; or son of Jakeh, an oracle.
I am weary, O God;
I am weary and worn out, O God.#30:1b The Hebrew can also be translated The man declares this to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and to Ucal.
2I am too stupid to be human,
and I lack common sense.
3I have not mastered human wisdom,
nor do I know the Holy One.
4Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?
Who holds the wind in his fists?
Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?
Who has created the whole wide world?
What is his name—and his son’s name?
Tell me if you know!
5Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6Do not add to his words,
or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7O God, I beg two favors from you;
let me have them before I die.
8First, help me never to tell a lie.
Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!
Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
10Never slander a worker to the employer,
or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11Some people curse their father
and do not thank their mother.
12They are pure in their own eyes,
but they are filthy and unwashed.
13They look proudly around,
casting disdainful glances.
14They have teeth like swords
and fangs like knives.
They devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among humanity.
15The leech has two suckers
that cry out, “More, more!”#30:15 Hebrew two daughters who cry out, “Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied—
no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave,#30:16 Hebrew Sheol.
the barren womb,
the thirsty desert,
the blazing fire.
17The eye that mocks a father
and despises a mother’s instructions
will be plucked out by ravens of the valley
and eaten by vultures.
18There are three things that amaze me—
no, four things that I don’t understand:
19how an eagle glides through the sky,
how a snake slithers on a rock,
how a ship navigates the ocean,
how a man loves a woman.
20An adulterous woman consumes a man,
then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21There are three things that make the earth tremble—
no, four it cannot endure:
22a slave who becomes a king,
an overbearing fool who prospers,
23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,
a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25Ants—they aren’t strong,
but they store up food all summer.
26Hyraxes#30:26 Or Coneys, or Rock badgers.—they aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes among the rocks.
27Locusts—they have no king,
but they march in formation.
28Lizards—they are easy to catch,
but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things that walk with stately stride—
no, four that strut about:
30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31the strutting rooster,
the male goat,
a king as he leads his army.
32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,
cover your mouth in shame.
33As the beating of cream yields butter
and striking the nose causes bleeding,
so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
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Proverbs 30: NLT
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation:
the man says to Ithiel,
to Ithiel and Ucal:
2“Surely I am the most ignorant man,
and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3I have not learned wisdom,
neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has bound the waters in his garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?
5“Every word of God is flawless.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Don’t you add to his words,
lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7“Two things I have asked of you.
Don’t deny me before I die.
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies.
Give me neither poverty nor riches.
Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’
or lest I be poor, and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
10“Don’t slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11There is a generation that curses their father,
and doesn’t bless their mother.
12There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,
yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes!
Their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
and their jaws like knives,
to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.
15“The leech has two daughters:
‘Give, give.’
“There are three things that are never satisfied;
four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16Sheol,#30:16 Sheol is the place of the dead.
the barren womb,
the earth that is not satisfied with water,
and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’
17“The eye that mocks at his father,
and scorns obedience to his mother,
the ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
the young eagles shall eat it.
18“There are three things which are too amazing for me,
four which I don’t understand:
19The way of an eagle in the air,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship in the middle of the sea,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
20“So is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21“For three things the earth trembles,
and under four, it can’t bear up:
22For a servant when he is king,
a fool when he is filled with food,
23for an unloved woman when she is married,
and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
24“There are four things which are little on the earth,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25The ants are not a strong people,
yet they provide their food in the summer.
26The hyraxes are but a feeble folk,
yet make they their houses in the rocks.
27The locusts have no king,
yet they advance in ranks.
28You can catch a lizard with your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29“There are three things which are stately in their march,
four which are stately in going:
30The lion, which is mightiest among animals,
and doesn’t turn away for any;
31the greyhound;
the male goat;
and the king against whom there is no rising up.
32“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself,
or if you have thought evil,
put your hand over your mouth.
33For as the churning of milk produces butter,
and the wringing of the nose produces blood,
so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
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