Proverbs 30

1 The 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:

The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:

2 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:

3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.

I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who 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?

Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?

5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.

Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.

6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:

Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.

7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.

I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:

8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:

Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:

9 Lest 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.

For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.

10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.

Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.

11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.

12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.

There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.

13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.

There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!

14 A 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.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.

15 The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.

The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:

16 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. (Sheol h7585)

The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. (Sheol h7585)

17 The 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.

The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.

18 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.

There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:

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 in youth.

The way of an eagle in the air; 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 girl.

20 Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.

This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.

21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:

For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:

22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:

A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;

23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.

A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.

24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:

There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:

25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:

The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;

26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:

The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.

The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;

28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.

You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.

29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:

There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:

30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:

The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;

31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.

The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.

32 There 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.

If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.

33 And 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.

The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.