Proverbs 30
30
Sayings of Agur
1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.
Thus says the man: I am weary, O God,
I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?#30.1 Or I am spent. Meaning of Heb uncertain
2Surely I am too stupid to be human;
I do not have human understanding.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.#30.3 Or Holy One
4Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person's name?
And what is the name of the person's child?
Surely you know!
5Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Do not add to his words,
or else he will rebuke you, and you will 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 lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that I need,
9or I shall be full, and deny you,
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or I shall be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.
10Do not slander a servant to a master,
or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
11There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12There are those who are pure in their own eyes
yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
13There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!
14There are those whose teeth are swords,
whose teeth are knives,
to devour the poor from off the earth,
the needy from among mortals.
15The leech#30.15 Meaning of Heb uncertain has two daughters;
“Give, give,” they cry.
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”:
16Sheol, the barren womb,
the earth ever thirsty for water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”#30.16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
17The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
18Three things are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a girl.
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 slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when glutted with food;
23an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24Four things on earth are small,
yet they are exceedingly wise:
25the ants are a people without strength,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26the badgers are a people without power,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28the lizard#30.28 Or spider can be grasped in the hand,
yet it is found in kings' palaces.
29Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their gait:
30the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
and does not turn back before any;
31the strutting rooster,#30.31 Gk Syr Tg Compare Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain the he-goat,
and a king striding before#30.31 Meaning of Heb uncertain his people.
32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33For as pressing milk produces curds,
and pressing the nose produces blood,
so pressing anger produces strife.
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Proverbs 30: NRSV-CI
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle.
The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2Surely I am more brutish than any man,
And have not the understanding of a man:
3And I have not learned wisdom,
Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?
Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?
Who hath bound the waters in his garment?
Who hath established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is tried:
He is a shield unto them that trust in him.
6Add thou not unto his words,
Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7Two things have I asked of thee;
Deny me them not before I die:
8Remove far from me vanity and lies:
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD?
Or lest I be poor, and steal,
And use profanely the name of my God.
10Slander not a servant unto his master,
Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
11There is a generation that curseth their father,
And doth not bless their mother.
12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes;
And yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, Oh how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives,
To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Yea, four that say not, Enough:
16The grave; and the barren womb;
The earth that is not satisfied with water;
And the fire that saith not, Enough.
17The eye that mocketh at his father,
And despiseth to obey his mother,
The ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
And the young eagles shall eat it.
18There be three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yea, four which I know not:
19The way of an eagle in the air;
The way of a serpent upon a rock;
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea;
And the way of a man with a maid.
20So is the way of an adulterous woman;
She eateth, and wipeth her mouth,
And saith, I have done no wickedness.
21For three things the earth doth tremble,
And for four, which it cannot bear:
22For a servant when he is king;
And a fool when he is filled with meat;
23For an odious woman when she is married;
And an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24There be four things which are little upon the earth,
But they are exceeding wise:
25The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they provide their meat in the summer;
26The conies are but a feeble folk,
Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27The locusts have no king,
Yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28The lizard taketh hold with her hands,
Yet is she in kings' palaces,
29There be three things which are stately in their march,
Yea, four which are stately in going:
30The lion, which is mightiest among beasts,
And turneth not away for any;
31The greyhound; the he-goat also;
And the king, against whom there is no rising up.
32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,
Or if thou hast thought evil,
Lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
33For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,
And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood:
So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
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historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society