Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa.#30.1 Or the oracle
The man says to Ithi-el,
to Ithi-el and Ucal:#30.1 The Hebrew of this verse is obscure
2Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has 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 proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Do not add to his words,
lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7Two things I ask of thee;
deny them not to me before I die:
8Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
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 profane the name of my God.
10Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you 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
but are not cleansed of their filth.
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 men.
15The leech#30.15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is 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 which never says, “Enough.”#30.16 Heb obscure
17The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be picked 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 serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
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 he is filled with food;
23an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26the badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings' palaces.
29Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
31the strutting cock,#30.31 Gk Syr Tg Compare Vg: Heb obscure the he-goat,
and a king striding before#30.31 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain his people.
32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
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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Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America
Proverbs 30
30
1Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
4Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
6Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
7Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.
8Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
9Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, ‘Who [is] Jehovah?’ And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
10Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
11A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
12A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
13A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.
14A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.
15To the leech [are] two daughters, ‘Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said ‘Sufficiency;’
16Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, ‘Sufficiency,’
17An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.
18Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
19The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.
20So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, ‘I have not done iniquity.’
21For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:
22For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
24Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
26Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
27A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,
28A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
30An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
31A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.
32If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!
33For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!
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