Proverbs 30
30
The Sayings of Agur
1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.
The man declares to Ithiel,
to Ithiel and Ukal:
2Surely I am more stupid than any man,
and do not have the understanding of a man. # Ps 73:22
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained the knowledge of the Holy One. # Pr 9:10
4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? # Jn 3:13
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of His hands?
Who has bound the waters in His cloak? # Job 26:8
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name? And what is the name of His son? # Ps 2:7
Surely you know!
5Every word of God is pure; # Ps 12:6
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. # Ps 18:30
6Do not add to His words, # Dt 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:18–19
lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7Two things I ask of you;
do not deny them to me before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lies;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with my daily bread, # Mt 6:11; Lk 11:3
9lest I be full and deny You,
and say, “Who is the Lord?” # Dt 31:20
or lest I be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God. # Ex 20:7
10Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11There is a generation that curses its father,
and does not bless its mother. # Pr 20:20; 30:17
12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, # Pr 16:2
and yet is not washed from its filthiness. # Lk 18:11
13There is a generation—oh how lofty are their eyes! # Ps 101:5; Pr 6:17
Their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
whose fangs are like knives, # Job 29:17
to devour the poor from off the earth, # Ps 14:4
and the needy from among mortals.
15The leech has two daughters:
Give! Give!
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”: # Pr 6:16; 30:21
16Sheol, # Pr 27:20; Hab 2:5 the barren womb,
the earth never filled with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
17The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother, # Dt 21:18–21; Pr 23:22
the ravens of the valley will pluck it out,
and the young vultures will eat it.
18Three things are too wonderful for me;
four which I do not understand: # Job 42:3
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
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 three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22a servant when he reigns,
a fool when he is filled with food, # Pr 19:10; Ecc 10:7
23a hateful woman when she is married,
and a servant girl who displaces her mistress.
24Four things on earth are little,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25the ants are a people not strong,
yet they store up their food in the summer; # Pr 6:6–8
26the badgers are a people not powerful,
yet they build their houses in the rocks; # Lev 11:5; Ps 104:18
27the locusts have no king,
yet they all march in ranks; # Joel 2:25
28the spider takes hold with her hands,
yet she lives in palaces of a king.
29Three things are majestic in their walk,
four which are majestic in their stride:
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts, # Jdg 14:18
and does not turn away from anything;
31the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.
32If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself,
or if you have devised evil,
lay your hand on your mouth. # Job 21:5; 40:4
33For as the churning of the milk produces butter,
and the wringing of the nose produces blood,
so the forcing of wrath produces strife. # Pr 29:22
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Proverbs 30: MEV
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The Holy Bible, Modern English Version
Copyright © 2024, 2017, 2014 by United Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 30
30
The Words of Agur
1These are the solemn words of Agur son of Jakeh:
“God is not with me, God is not with me,
and I am helpless.#30.1 Probable text “God… helpless; Hebrew unclear.
2I am more like an animal than a human being;
I do not have the sense a human being should have.
3I have never learned any wisdom,
and I know nothing at all about God.
4Who has ever mastered heavenly knowledge?
Who has ever caught the wind in his hand?
Or wrapped up water in a piece of cloth?
Or fixed the boundaries of the earth?
Who is he, if you know? Who is his son?
5“God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection. 6If you claim that he said something that he never said, he will reprimand you and show that you are a liar.”
More Proverbs
7I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die: 8keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need. 9If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God.
10Never criticize servants to their master. You will be cursed and suffer for it.
11There are people who curse their fathers and do not show their appreciation for their mothers.
12There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.
13There are people who think they are so good — oh, how good they think they are!
14There are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living.
15A leech has two daughters, and both are named “Give me!”
There are four things that are never satisfied:
16the world of the dead,
a woman without children,
dry ground that needs rain,
and a fire burning out of control.
17Those who make fun of their father or despise their mother in her old age#30.17 One ancient translation mother in her old age; Hebrew mother's obedience. ought to be eaten by vultures or have their eyes picked out by wild ravens.
18There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand:
19an eagle flying in the sky,
a snake moving on a rock,
a ship finding its way over the sea,
and a man and a woman falling in love.
20This is how an unfaithful wife acts: she commits adultery, has a bath, and says, “But I haven't done anything wrong!”
21There are four things that the earth itself cannot tolerate:
22a slave who becomes a king,
a fool who has all he wants to eat,
23a hateful woman who gets married,
and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress.
24There are four animals in the world that are small, but very, very clever:
25Ants: they are weak, but they store up their food in the summer.
26Rock-badgers: they are not strong either, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation.
28Lizards: you can hold one in your hand, but you can find them in palaces.
29There are four things that are impressive to watch as they walk:
30lions, strongest of all animals and afraid of none;
31goats,
strutting cocks,
and kings in front of their people.#30.31 Verse 31 in Hebrew is unclear.
32If you have been foolish enough to be arrogant and plan evil, stop and think! 33If you churn milk, you get butter. If you hit someone's nose, it bleeds. If you stir up anger, you get into trouble.
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Good News Bible with Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.