Mishlei (Pro) 30
30
1The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, the prophecy. The man says to Iti’el, to Iti’el and Ukhal:
2I am more boorish than anyone,
I lack human discernment;
3I have not learned enough wisdom
to know the Holy One.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has cupped the wind in the palms of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?
Who established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5Every word of God’s is pure;
he shields those taking refuge in him.
6Don’t add anything to his words;
or he will rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7[God,] I have asked two things of you;
don’t deny them to me as long as I live —
8keep falsehood and futility far from me,
and give me neither poverty nor wealth.
Yes, provide just the food I need today;
9for if I have too much, I might deny you
and say, “Who is Adonai?”
And if I am poor, I might steal
and thus profane the name of my God.
10Never disparage a slave to his master,
or he will curse you, and you will deserve it.
11There is a type of people who curse their fathers
and don’t bless their mothers.
12There is a type of people clean in their own view,
but not cleansed from their filth.
13There is a type of people — how haughty their look! —
utterly supercilious!
14There is a type of people whose teeth are like swords,
yes, their fangs are knives;
they devour the poor from the earth,
the needy from humankind.
15The leech has two daughters;
they cry, “Give! Give!”
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough!” —
16Sh’ol and a barren womb;
the earth, never satisfied with water;
and fire, which never says, “Enough!”
17The eye that mocks his father
and scorns obeying his mother
will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley,
and the vultures will eat it.
18Three things are too wonderful for me,
four beyond my knowledge —
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the open sea,
and the way of a man with a girl.
20This is how an unfaithful wife behaves:
she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, “I did nothing wrong.”
21Three things make the earth quake,
four things it can’t bear —
22a slave who becomes king,
a boor gorged with food,
23a hated [wife] when her husband takes her [back],
and a slave-girl who inherits from her mistress.
24Four things on the earth are small;
nevertheless, they are very wise —
25the ants, a species not strong,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
26the coneys, a species with little power,
yet they make their home in the rocks;
27the locusts, who have no king,
yet they all march out in ranks;
28and the spiders, which you can catch in your hand,
yet they are in the king’s palace.
29Three things are stately in their stride,
four of stately gait —
30the lion, mightiest of beasts,
which turns aside for none;
31the greyhound, the billy-goat
and the king when his army is with him.
32If you have been boorish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been scheming,
lay your hand on your mouth.
33For as pressing milk produces butter
and pressing the nose produces blood,
so pressing out anger produces strife.
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Mishlei (Pro) 30: CJB
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Learn More About Complete Jewish BibleProverbs 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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