Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
2I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
5Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
6Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
7Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
8Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
9Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
10Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
14A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.
15The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
16Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.
17The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
18Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
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 in youth.
20Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
21By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
22By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
23By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
24There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
25The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
26The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
27The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
28The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses.
29There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
30A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
31A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
32There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
33And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
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Proverbs 30: DRC1752
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur, son of Jakeh. Agur’s prophetic revelation.
Agur Speaks about God
[ TO GOD ]
This man’s declaration:
“I’m weary, O God.
I’m weary and worn out, O God.
2I’m more ⌞like⌟ a dumb animal than a human being.
I don’t ⌞even⌟ have human understanding.
3I haven’t learned wisdom.
I don’t have knowledge of the Holy One.#30:3 Or “holy ones.”
[ TO THE AUDIENCE ]
4“Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the palm of his hand?
Who has wrapped water in a garment?
Who has set up the earth from one end to the other?
What is his name or the name of his son?
Certainly, you must know!
5“All of God’s word has proven to be true.
He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.
6Do not add to his words,
or he will reprimand you, and you will be found to be a liar.
A Prayer
[ TO GOD]
7“I’ve asked you for two things.
Don’t keep them from me before I die:
8Keep vanity and lies far away from me.
Don’t give me either poverty or riches.
Feed me ⌞only⌟ the food I need,
9or I may feel satisfied and deny you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I may become poor and steal
and give the name of my God a bad reputation.
Against Slander
[ TO THE AUDIENCE]
10“Do not slander a slave to his master.
The slave will curse you,
and you will be found guilty.”
Four Kinds of People
11A certain kind of person curses his father
and does not bless his mother.
12A certain kind of person thinks he is pure
but is not washed from his own feces.#30:12 Blunt Hebrew term but not considered vulgar.
13A certain kind of person looks around arrogantly
and is conceited.
14A certain kind of person,
whose teeth are like swords
and whose jaws are ⌞like⌟ knives,
devours oppressed people from the earth
and people from among humanity.
Human Bloodsuckers
15The bloodsucking leech has two daughters—“Give!” and “Give!”
Four Things That Are Never Satisfied
Three things are never satisfied.
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave,
a barren womb,
a land that never gets enough water,
a fire that does not say, “Enough!”
Disrespectful Children—Their Punishment
17The eye that makes fun of a father and hates to obey a mother
will be plucked out by ravens in the valley and eaten by young vultures.
Four Things of Intrigue
18Three things are too amazing to me,
even four that I cannot understand:
19an eagle making its way through the sky,
a snake making its way over a rock,
a ship making its way through high seas,
a man making his way with a virgin.
About the Woman Who Commits Adultery
20This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:
She eats, wipes her mouth,
and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Four Things That Are Intolerable
21Three things cause the earth to tremble,
even four it cannot bear up under:
22a slave when he becomes king,
a godless fool when he is filled with food,
23a woman who is unloved when she gets married,
a maid when she replaces her mistress.
Four Things That Are Small—Yet Smart and Strong
24Four things on earth are small,
yet they are very wise:
25Ants are not a strong species,
yet they store their food in summer.
26Rock badgers are not a mighty species,
yet they make their home in the rocks.
27Locusts have no king,
yet all of them divide into swarms by instinct.
28A lizard you can hold in your hands,
yet it can even be found in royal palaces.
Four Things That Move with Dignity
29There are three things that walk with dignity,
even four that march with dignity:
30a lion, mightiest among animals, which turns away from nothing,
31a strutting rooster,
a male goat,
a king at the head of his army.
Keep Calm and Quiet
32If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself,
or if you scheme,
you had better put your hand over your mouth.
33As churning milk produces butter
and punching a nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger #30:33 In Hebrew there is a play on words in verse 33 where the same verb is used to express all three actions. produces a fight.
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