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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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal: 2Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence. 3I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy. 4Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest? 5Every word of +God#GodHebrew: Eloah is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7Two things do I ask of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need: 9lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God#GodHebrew: Elohim
10Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty. 11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother; 12there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness; 13there is a generation, — how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up! 14— a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three things never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough: 16— Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough. 17The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18There are three things too wonderful for me, and four that I know not: 19The way of an eagle in the heavens, 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 with a maid. 20Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. 21Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up: 22Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat; 23under an odious woman when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.
24There are four things little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise: 25The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff; 27the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands; 28thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.
29There are three things which have a stately step, and four are comely in going: 30The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any; 31a horse girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up. 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay the hand upon thy mouth. 33For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.