Proverbs 30
30
Wise Sayings of Agur Son of Jakeh
1These are the wise sayings of Agur son of Jakeh from Massa. He says, “God, I am tired, so tired. How can I keep going?”#30:1 He says, “God, … keep going?” Or “This is his message to Ithiel and Ucal.”
2I am stupid. I am not as smart as other people are. 3I have not learned to be wise. I know nothing about the Holy One.#30:3 Holy One Literally, “the holy ones.” 4Who has ever gone up to heaven and come back down? Who gathered the winds in his hand? Who can gather up all the water in his lap? Who set the limits for the world? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Do you know?
5You can trust this: Every word that God speaks is true. God is a safe place for those who go to him. 6So don’t try to change what God says. If you do, he will punish you and prove that you are a liar.
7God, I ask you to do two things for me before I die. 8Don’t let me tell lies. And don’t make me too rich or too poor—give me only enough food for each day. 9If I have too much, I might deny that I need you, Lord. But if I am too poor, I might steal and bring shame to the name of my God.
10Never say bad things about a slave to his master. If you do, he will curse you, and you will suffer for it.
11Some people curse their fathers and refuse to bless their mothers.
12Some people think they are pure, but they have done nothing to remove the filth of their sin.
13Some people are so proud of themselves, and they look down on everyone else.
14There are people whose teeth are like swords and their jaws like knives. They take everything they can from the poor.
15Greedy people know only two things#30:15 Literally, “A leech has two daughters.”: “Give me,” and “Give me.” There are three other things that are never satisfied—really, four things that never have enough: 16the place of death, a woman with no children, dry ground that needs rain, and a fire that will never stop by itself.
17People who make fun of their father or refuse to obey their mother should have their eyes plucked out by wild birds and be eaten by vultures.
18There are three things that are hard for me to understand—really, four things that I don’t understand: 19an eagle flying in the sky, a snake moving on a rock, a ship moving across the ocean, and a man in love with a woman.
20A woman who is not faithful to her husband acts innocent. She eats, wipes her mouth, and says she has done nothing wrong.
21There are three things that make trouble on the earth—really, four that the earth cannot bear: 22a slave who becomes a king, fools who have everything they need, 23a woman whose husband hated her but still married her, and a servant girl who becomes ruler over the woman she serves.
24There are four things on the earth that are small but very wise:
25Ants are small and weak, but they save their food all summer;
26badgers are small animals, but they make their homes in the rocks;
27locusts have no king, but they are able to work together;
28lizards are small enough to catch with your hands, but you can find them living in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things that act important when they walk—really, there are four:
30a lion—he is the warrior of the animals and runs from nothing,
31a rooster walking proudly,#30:31 a rooster walking proudly Or possibly, “a greyhound” or “a war horse.”
a goat,
and a king among his people.
32If you have been foolish enough to become proud and make plans against other people, stop and think about what you are doing.
33Stirring milk causes butter to form. Hitting someone’s nose causes blood to flow. And making people angry causes trouble.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Proverbs 30
30
Sayings of Agur
1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh – an inspired utterance.
This man’s utterance to Ithiel:
‘I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.#30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
2Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!
5‘Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7‘Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonour the name of my God.
10‘Do not slander a servant to their master,
or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11‘There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
12those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
whose glances are so disdainful;
14those whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among the human race.
15‘The leech has two daughters.
“Give! Give!” they cry.
‘There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave
and the barren womb;
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, “Enough!”
17‘The eye that mocks a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.
18‘There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that 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 young woman.
20‘This is the way of an adulterous woman:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
21‘Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22a servant who becomes king,
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23a contemptible woman who gets married,
and a servant who displaces her mistress.
24‘Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
26hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29‘There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
31a strutting cock,
a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt.#30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
32‘If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
33For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.’
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