Proverbs 30
30
Words of Agur
1The words of Agur, Jakeh’s son, from Massa.
The man declares: I’m tired, God;
I’m tired, God, and I’m exhausted.
2Actually, I’m too stupid to be human,
a man without understanding.
3I haven’t learned wisdom,
nor do I have knowledge of the holy one.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind by the handful?
Who has bound up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is this person’s name and the name of this person’s child—
if you know it?
5All God’s words are tried and true;
a shield for those who take refuge in him.
6Don’t add to his words,
or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.
7Two things I ask of you;
don’t keep them from me before I die:
8Fraud and lies—
keep far from me!
Don’t give me either poverty or wealth;
give me just the food I need.
9Or I’ll be full and deny you,
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
Or I’ll be poor and steal,
and dishonor my God’s name.
More sayings of the wise
10Don’t slander a servant to his master;
otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.
11There are those who curse their father
and don’t bless their mother.
12There are those who think they are clean,
but haven’t washed off their own excrement.
13There are those—
how arrogant are their eyes;
how their eyebrows are raised!
14There are those whose teeth are swords;
their jaw is a butcher’s knife,
ready to devour the needy from the earth,
and the poor from humanity.
15The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave#30.16 Heb Sheol and a barren womb,
a land never filled with water,
and fire that doesn’t say, “Enough!”
17An eye that mocks a father
and rejects obedience to a mother,
may the ravens of the river valley peck it out,
and the eagle’s young eat it.
18Three things are too wonderful for me,
four that I can’t figure out:
19the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on the rock,
the way of a ship out on the open sea,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
she eats and wipes her mouth,
and she says, “I’ve done nothing wrong!”
21At three things the earth trembles,
at four it can’t bear up:
22at a servant when he becomes king
and fools when they are full of food;
23at a detested woman when she gets married
and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.
24Four things are among the smallest on earth,
but they are extremely wise:
25Ants as creatures aren’t strong,
but they store away their food in the summer.
26Badgers as creatures aren’t powerful,
but they make their homes in the rocks.
27Locusts don’t have a king,
but they march together in ranks.
28You can catch lizards in your hand,
but they are in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things that are excellent in their stride,
four that are excellent as they walk:
30a lion, a warrior among beasts,
which doesn’t back down at anything;
31the strut of a rooster or a male goat;
and a king with his army.
32If you’ve been foolish and arrogant,
if you’ve been scheming,
put your hand to your mouth,
33because churning milk makes curds,
squeezing the nose brings blood,
and stirring up anger produces strife.
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Proverbs 30: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. 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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