Proverbs 30
30
The Words of Agur
1The words of #The identity of Agur, author of this chapter, is uncertain.Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle:
The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
2Surely #This may be viewed as either a sarcastic response to an unknown critic, or simply the sincere reflections of a humble man.I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].
3I have not learned [skillful and godly] wisdom,
Nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One [who is the source of wisdom].
4Who has ascended 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?
Certainly you know!
5Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];
He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.
6Do not add to His words,
Or He will reprove you, and you will be found a liar.
7Two things I have asked of You;
Do not deny them to me before I die:
8Keep deception and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
9So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I will not be poor and steal,
And so profane the name of my God.
10Do not slander or malign a servant before his master [stay out of another’s personal life],
Or he will curse you [for your interference], and you will be found guilty.
11There is a generation (class of people) that curses its father
And does not bless its mother.
12There is a generation (class of people) that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13There is a generation (class of people)—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are raised in arrogance.
14There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaw teeth are like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.
15The leech has two daughters,
“Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four that do not say, “It is enough”:
16 # Hades, the nether world, the place of the dead. Sheol, and the barren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “It is enough.”
17The eye that mocks a father
And scorns a mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young vultures will devour it.
18There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me,
Four which I do not 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 maid.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes,
And under four it cannot bear up:
22Under a servant when he reigns,
Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food,
23Under an unloved woman when she gets married,
And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
24There are four things that are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25The ants are not a strong people,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26The #Small, shy, furry animals, (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and in the region around the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB badgers.shephanim are not a mighty folk,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks;
27The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in groups;
28You may grasp the lizard with your hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things which are stately in step,
Even four which are stately in their stride:
30The lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn back before any;
31The #Lit girt in the loins. The meaning of the Hebrew is unclear. Other translations propose greyhound.strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And the king when his army is with him.
32If you have foolishly exalted yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.
33Surely the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.
Currently Selected:
Proverbs 30: AMP
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
Amplified® Bible
Copyright © 2015 by
The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631
All rights reserved. http://www.lockman.org
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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.