Proverbs 30
30
The Oracle of Agur
1The words of Agur, son of Yakeh, the oracle.
Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:#Or “I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out”
2Certainly I am more stupid than a man,
and the understanding of humankind is not for me.
3And I have not learned wisdom,
nor will I know knowledge of the Holy One.#Or “holy ones”
4Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hand?
Who has wrapped water in a#Hebrew “the” garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name and what is the name of his child?
For surely you know.
5Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield for him who takes refuge in him.
6Do not add to his words
lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
7Two things I ask from you;
do not deny me before I die:
8Keep falsehood and a lying word#Literally “word of a lie” far from me;
do not give me poverty or wealth;
provide me with food only for my need.
9Or else I will be satisfied and will deny him
and say “Who is Yahweh?”
Or#Or “Lest” I will be poor and will steal
and profane the name of my God.
10Do not slander a servant to his master,
or else he will curse you and you will be guilty.
11There is a generation that will curse its father,
and its mother it will not bless.
12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.
13There is a generation—how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids they will lift.
14There is a generation whose teeth are swords,
and its jawbones, knives,
in order to devour the poor from the earth#Or “land”
and the needy from humankind.
15For the leech, there are two daughters;
“Give, give!” they cry.
As for three of these, they are not satisfied;
as for four, they do not say enough.
16Sheol#A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld and barrenness of womb,
the land is not satisfied with water,
and fire does not say “enough!”
17The eye that mocks a father
and scorns the obedience of a mother—
the ravens of the valley will peck it out,
and the offspring of vultures will eat it.
18Three of these are too wonderful for me,
and four, I do not understand them:
19the way of the eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship in the heart of the sea,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
20This is the way of a woman committing adultery:
she eats and wipes her mouth,
and says “I have not done wrong.”
21Under three things the earth#Or “land” trembles,
and under four, it is not able to bear up:
22under a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is satisfied with food;
23under an unloved woman when she gets married,
and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24There are four small things on the earth,
and they are exceedingly wise:#Literally “wise ones from wise ones”
25The ants are a people who are not strong,
yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26the badgers are a people who are not mighty,
yet they set their house on the rock;
27there is no king for the locust,
yet it marches in rank;
28a lizard you can seize with hands,
yet it is in palaces of kings.
29There are three things that are magnificent of stride,
and four that are magnificent when moving:
30a mighty lion among the beasts,#Hebrew “beasts”
but he will not turn back from any face;#Literally “faces of all”
31a strutting rooster or he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.
32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself,
and if you have devised evil, put your hand to your mouth.
33For pressing milk produces curd,
and pressing the nose produces blood,
so pressing anger#Literally “nostrils” produces strife.
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Proverbs 30
30
1 THE WORDS of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
2 Surely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man [for all my secular learning is as nothing].
3 I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if you know? [John 3:13; Rev. 19:12.]
5 Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him. [Ps. 18:30; 84:11; 115:9-11.]
6 Add not to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things have I asked of You [O Lord]; deny them not to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 Lest I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal, and so profane the name of my God. [Deut. 8:12, 14, 17; Neh. 9:25, 26; Job 31:24; Hos. 13:6.]
10 Do not accuse and hurt a servant before his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty [of adding to the burdens of the lowly].
11 There is a class of people who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 There is a class of people who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their own filth.
13 There is a class of people–oh, how lofty are their eyes and their raised eyelids!
14 There is a class of people whose teeth are as swords and whose fangs as knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give! There are three things that are never satisfied, yes, four that do not say, It is enough:
16 Sheol (the place of the dead), the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that says not, It is enough.
17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young vultures will devour it. [Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20; 23:22.]
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand:
19 The 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 with a maid.
20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wickedness.
21 Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:
22 Under a servant when he reigns, a [empty-headed] fool when he is filled with food,
23 An unloved and repugnant woman when she is married, and a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer; [Prov. 6:6.]
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks; [Ps. 104:18.]
27 The locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;
28 The lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.
29 There are three things which are stately in step, yes, four which are stately in their stride:
30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts and turns not back before any;
31 The war horse [well-knit in the loins], the male goat also, and the king [when his army is with him and] against whom there is no uprising.
32 If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth. [Job 21:5; 40:4.]
33 Surely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.
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1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation