Proverbs 30
30
The Sayings of Agur
1These are the sayings
and the message
of Agur son of Jakeh.
Someone cries out to God,
“I am completely worn out!
How can I last?#30.1 last: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.
2I am far too stupid
to be considered human.
3I never was wise,
and I don't understand
what God is like.”
4 #
3 Macc 2.15. Has anyone gone up to heaven
and come back down?
Has anyone grabbed hold
of the wind?
Has anyone wrapped up the sea
or marked out boundaries
for the earth?
If you know of any
who have done such things,
then tell me their names
and their children's names.
5Everything God says is true—
and it's a shield for all
who come to him for safety.
6Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
that you are a liar.
7There are two things, Lord,
I want you to do for me
before I die:
8Make me absolutely honest
and don't let me be too poor
or too rich.
Give me just what I need.
9If I have too much to eat,
I might forget about you;
if I don't have enough,
I might steal
and disgrace your name.
10Don't tell a slave owner
something bad about one
of the slaves.
That slave will curse you,
and you will be in trouble.
11Some people curse their father
and even their mother;
12others think they are perfect,
but they are stained by sin.
13Some people are stuck-up
and act like snobs;
14others are so greedy
that they gobble up
the poor and homeless.
15Greed#30.15 Greed: Or “A leech.” has twins,
each named “Give me!”
There are three or four things
that are never satisfied:
16The world of the dead
and a childless wife,
the thirsty earth
and a flaming fire.
17Don't make fun of your father
or disobey your mother—
crows will peck out your eyes,
and buzzards will eat
the rest of you.
18There are three or four things
I cannot understand:
19 #
Ws 5.10-12. How eagles fly so high
or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
or people fall in love.
20An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
is as natural as eating.”
21There are three or four things
that make the earth tremble
and are unbearable:
22A slave who becomes king,
a fool who eats too much,
23a hateful woman
who finds a husband,
and a slave who takes the place
of the woman who owns her.
24On this earth four things
are small but very wise:
25Ants, who seem to be feeble,
but store up food
all summer long;
26badgers, who seem to be weak,
but live among the rocks;
27locusts, who have no king,
but march like an army;
28lizards,#30.28 lizards: Or “spiders.” which can be caught
in your hand,
but sneak into palaces.
29Three or four creatures
really strut around:
30Those fearless lions
who rule the jungle,
31those proud roosters,
those mountain goats,
and those rulers
who have no enemies.#30.31 enemies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 31.
32If you are foolishly bragging
or planning something evil,
then stop it now!
33If you churn milk
you get butter;
if you pound on your nose,
you get blood—
and if you stay angry,
you get in trouble.
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Proverbs 30: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Mishle 30
30
1The devarim of Agur Ben Yakeh, even the massa; the gever (man) spoke unto Itiel, even unto Itiel and Ukhal:
2Surely I am more stupid than any ish, and have not the binat adam.
3I neither learned chochmah, nor have the da'as of the Kedoshim.
4Who hath ascended into Shomayim, or descended? Who hath gathered ruach in the hollows of His hands? Who hath bound the mayim in a cloak? Who hath established all the afsei aretz (ends of the earth)? What is Shmo (His Name), and what is Shem Bno (the Name of His Son ),#30:4 See Memra, creative Word of G-d in Targumim if thou canst tell?
5Every word of G-d is flawless; He is a mogen unto them that take refuge in Him.
6Add thou not unto His devarim, lest He rebuke thee, and thou be found a kazav (liar).
7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before my mot;
8Remove far from me shav (vanity, falsehood) and davar kazav (word of a liar); give me neither poverty nor osher; feed me lechem chukki (my daily bread);
9Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is Hashem? Or lest I be poor, and become a ganav, and profane the Shem of Elohai.
10Do not slander an eved unto his adon, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11There is a dor (generation) that curseth its av, and doth not make a bracha on its em.
12There is a dor (generation) that is tahor (pure) in its own eynayim, and yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13There is a dor (generation), O how haughty in loftiness are their eynayim! And their eyelids are proudly lifted up.
14There is a dor (generation), whose teeth are as charavot (swords), and their jaw teeth are as knives, to devour the aniyim (oppressed poor ones) from off ha'aretz, and the evyonim (needy ones) from among adam.
15The leech hath two banot: Give! Give! There are shalosh (three) that are never satisfied, indeed, four things never say, Enough!
16Sheol, and the barren womb; eretz that is never satisfied with mayim; and eish that saith not, Enough!
17The ayin (eye) that mocketh at av, and scorneth to obey em, the ravens of the valley shall peck it out, and the bnei nesher shall eat it.
18There are shalosh which are too wonderful for me, indeed, four which I understand not;
19The derech hanesher (way of the eagle) in the sky; the derech nachash upon a tzur (rock); the derech oniyah (way of a sailing vessel) in the midst of the yam (sea); and the derech gever (way of a man) with an almah (unmarried young virgin).#30:19 See Gn 24:16,43,63-65
20Such is the derech isha mena'efet (way of an adulterous woman): she eateth, and wipeth her peh (mouth), and saith, I have done no wrong.
21For shalosh the eretz is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22For an eved (slave) when he reigneth; and a naval (fool) when he is full with lechem;
23For an unloved woman when she is married; and a shifchah that displaces her gevirah (lady, mistress).
24There are four things which are little upon eretz, but they are exceeding chachamim:
25The nemalim (ants) are an am (people) not strong, yet they store up their lechem in the kayitz (summer);
26The badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their bais in the rocks;
27The arbeh (locusts) have no melech, yet they go forth all of them in ranks;
28The lizard can be held in the hands, yet is in heikhelot (palaces) of a melech.
29There are shloshah which are majestic in stride, indeed, four are stately in walk:
30A lion which is gibbor among behemah (beasts), and retreateth not from any;
31The strutting rooster; the he-goat also; and a melech, when his army is with him.
32If thou hast done foolishly in exalting thyself, or if thou hast devised rah, lay thine yad upon thy peh.
33Surely the churning of cholov (milk) bringeth forth khemah (butter), and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth dahm; so the stirring up of anger bringeth forth strife.
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