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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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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