Proverbs 30
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
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 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
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 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made 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 ask of you; take not favor from 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 falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
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 I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of 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 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
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 A wicked generation curse their father, and do 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 wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14 A wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw teeth [as] knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them 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 horse-leech had three dearly beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, 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 laughs to scorn a father, and dishonors the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour 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 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19 the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways 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 the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if you wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if you extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
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.
