< Proverbs 30 >

1 These are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An oracle. This is what the man says, God, I'm really tired, I'm worn out.
τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους υἱέ φοβήθητι καὶ δεξάμενος αὐτοὺς μετανόει τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν θεῷ καὶ παύομαι
2 I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
ἀφρονέστατος γάρ εἰμι πάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ φρόνησις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοί
3 I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
θεὸς δεδίδαχέν με σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν ἁγίων ἔγνωκα
4 Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? Who holds the winds in the palm of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has set the earth's boundaries? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Are you sure you don't know?
τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατέβη τίς συνήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐν κόλπῳ τίς συνέστρεψεν ὕδωρ ἐν ἱματίῳ τίς ἐκράτησεν πάντων τῶν ἄκρων τῆς γῆς τί ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἢ τί ὄνομα τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ ἵνα γνῷς
5 Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
πάντες λόγοι θεοῦ πεπυρωμένοι ὑπερασπίζει δὲ αὐτὸς τῶν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτόν
6 Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
μὴ προσθῇς τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ ἐλέγξῃ σε καὶ ψευδὴς γένῃ
7 God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
δύο αἰτοῦμαι παρὰ σοῦ μὴ ἀφέλῃς μου χάριν πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν με
8 Keep me from being false, help me not to tell lies. Don't make me poor or rich; just provide me with the food I need.
μάταιον λόγον καὶ ψευδῆ μακράν μου ποίησον πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς σύνταξον δέ μοι τὰ δέοντα καὶ τὰ αὐτάρκη
9 Otherwise if I have plenty of money, I may give up on you, saying, “Who is the Lord?” while if I'm poor I may steal and bring the name of my God into disrepute.
ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς ψευδὴς γένωμαι καὶ εἴπω τίς με ὁρᾷ ἢ πενηθεὶς κλέψω καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ
10 Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
μὴ παραδῷς οἰκέτην εἰς χεῖρας δεσπότου μήποτε καταράσηταί σε καὶ ἀφανισθῇς
11 There are some who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
ἔκγονον κακὸν πατέρα καταρᾶται τὴν δὲ μητέρα οὐκ εὐλογεῖ
12 There are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
ἔκγονον κακὸν δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν κρίνει τὴν δὲ ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπένιψεν
13 There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
ἔκγονον κακὸν ὑψηλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει τοῖς δὲ βλεφάροις αὐτοῦ ἐπαίρεται
14 There are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
ἔκγονον κακὸν μαχαίρας τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔχει καὶ τὰς μύλας τομίδας ὥστε ἀναλίσκειν καὶ κατεσθίειν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοὺς πένητας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων
15 The leech has two daughters who cry out, “Give me! Give me!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
τῇ βδέλλῃ τρεῖς θυγατέρες ἦσαν ἀγαπήσει ἀγαπώμεναι καὶ αἱ τρεῖς αὗται οὐκ ἐνεπίμπλασαν αὐτήν καὶ ἡ τετάρτη οὐκ ἠρκέσθη εἰπεῖν ἱκανόν
16 The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
ᾅδης καὶ ἔρως γυναικὸς καὶ τάρταρος καὶ γῆ οὐκ ἐμπιπλαμένη ὕδατος καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ πῦρ οὐ μὴ εἴπωσιν ἀρκεῖ (Sheol h7585)
17 People who ridicule their fathers and despise obedience to the mother will have their eyes pecked out by wild ravens and eaten by young vultures.
ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρός ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν
18 These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
τρία δέ ἐστιν ἀδύνατά μοι νοῆσαι καὶ τὸ τέταρτον οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω
19 The way an eagle soars in the sky, the way a snake slides over a rock, the way a ship sails across the sea, the way a man and a woman fall in love.
ἴχνη ἀετοῦ πετομένου καὶ ὁδοὺς ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας καὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης καὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι
20 This is the way of a woman who commits adultery: she eats, she wipes her mouth, and then says, “I haven't done anything wrong!”
τοιαύτη ὁδὸς γυναικὸς μοιχαλίδος ἥ ὅταν πράξῃ ἀπονιψαμένη οὐδέν φησιν πεπραχέναι ἄτοπον
21 Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
διὰ τριῶν σείεται ἡ γῆ τὸ δὲ τέταρτον οὐ δύναται φέρειν
22 a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
ἐὰν οἰκέτης βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἄφρων πλησθῇ σιτίων
23 an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
καὶ οἰκέτις ἐὰν ἐκβάλῃ τὴν ἑαυτῆς κυρίαν καὶ μισητὴ γυνὴ ἐὰν τύχῃ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ
24 There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
τέσσαρα δέ ἐστιν ἐλάχιστα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν σοφώτερα τῶν σοφῶν
25 Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
οἱ μύρμηκες οἷς μὴ ἔστιν ἰσχὺς καὶ ἑτοιμάζονται θέρους τὴν τροφήν
26 Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
καὶ οἱ χοιρογρύλλιοι ἔθνος οὐκ ἰσχυρόν οἳ ἐποιήσαντο ἐν πέτραις τοὺς ἑαυτῶν οἴκους
27 Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
ἀβασίλευτόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀκρὶς καὶ ἐκστρατεύει ἀφ’ ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως
28 Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
καὶ καλαβώτης χερσὶν ἐρειδόμενος καὶ εὐάλωτος ὢν κατοικεῖ ἐν ὀχυρώμασιν βασιλέως
29 There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
τρία δέ ἐστιν ἃ εὐόδως πορεύεται καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ὃ καλῶς διαβαίνει
30 The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
σκύμνος λέοντος ἰσχυρότερος κτηνῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται οὐδὲ καταπτήσσει κτῆνος
31 The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐμπεριπατῶν θηλείαις εὔψυχος καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου καὶ βασιλεὺς δημηγορῶν ἐν ἔθνει
32 If you have been foolishly boasting about yourself, or if you've been planning to do something wrong, stop and put your hand over your mouth.
ἐὰν πρόῃ σεαυτὸν εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἐκτείνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου μετὰ μάχης ἀτιμασθήσῃ
33 Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
ἄμελγε γάλα καὶ ἔσται βούτυρον ἐὰν δὲ ἐκπιέζῃς μυκτῆρας ἐξελεύσεται αἷμα ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλκῃς λόγους ἐξελεύσονται κρίσεις καὶ μάχαι

< Proverbs 30 >