Proverbs 30
1 These are sayings/messages that God gave to Agur, the son of Jakeh. [Agur wrote them] for Ithiel and Ucal.
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.
2 It seems that I am very stupid; I do not deserve to be considered to be a human; I do not have the good sense that humans should have.
I'm so stupid I'm not really a man; I can't even think like a human being.
3 I have not learned [how to become] wise and I do not know [much] about God.
I have not learned wisdom; I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 [But let me say this]: No one [RHQ] has ascended to heaven [to find out what God is like] and returned [to tell us]. No one [RHQ] has gathered/held the wind in his hand. No one [RHQ] has wrapped the water [in the ocean] in [a piece of] cloth, and no one [RHQ] has established the boundaries of the earth. [If you know who has done those things, tell me] [RHQ] his name, and the names of his children [SAR]! [But you do not know who has done those things, so you cannot speak with authority about what God is like].
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?
5 Everything that God has said is true; he is [like] a shield [MET] for all those who request him to protect them.
Every word God says has been proved true. He defends everyone who comes to him for protection.
6 Do not add to (OR, change) what God has said; if you do that, he will rebuke you and show that you are lying.
Don't add anything to his words, or he will criticize you and you'll be shown to be a liar.
7 [God], I ask you to do two things for me; [please] do them before I die:
God, I want to request two things from you. Please don't refuse to let me have them before I come to die.
8 Help me never to lie or deceive [people] and do not cause me to become poor or to become rich. [Just] give me the food that I need;
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.
9 because if I become rich, I might say that I do not [RHQ] know you and that I do not need you; and if I become poor, I might dishonor you by stealing things.
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.
10 Do not (slander/say bad things about) a worker to his boss; if you do that, the worker will curse you, and cause you to have trouble.
Don't slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you and you'll suffer for it.
11 [I will list four kinds of evil things that people do]: Some people curse their fathers and do not [ask God to] bless their mothers.
There are some who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 Some people think that they are perfect, but [really] they have never been cleansed from their guilt for committing disgusting sins.
There are some who see themselves as pure but they're still filthy—they have not been washed.
13 Some people are very proud; they think that they are very good and they despise others.
There are some who think themselves so high and mighty, and who look down on others.
14 Some people [act very cruelly toward others]; [it is as though] [MET] they have teeth that are [like] sharp knives; they severely oppress poor [people] and try to cause them to disappear from the land.
There are some who have teeth like swords, incisors like knives, ready to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from society.
15 Leeches [are always wanting more blood to suck]; [similarly, greedy people are always] saying “Give [me some]!” or “Give [me more]!” [MET] There are four things that are never (satisfied/content with what they have); they always want more [LIT]:
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!”:
16 The place where the dead people are; women who do not have any children; ground that needs water/rain; and a fire that always needs more wood. (Sheol h7585)
The grave, the womb that doesn't become pregnant, the earth thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, “Enough!” (Sheol h7585)
17 Those who [SYN] make fun of their fathers or refuse to obey their mothers (OR, despise their aged mothers) should [die and] have their eyes pecked out by crows, and the [rest of their corpses should be] fed to the vultures.
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.
18 There are four things that are wonderful to me, [but] I do not understand any of them:
These three things are amazingly hard for me, four things I just can't understand:
19 How eagles fly in the sky, how snakes [are able to] move/crawl across a big rock, how ships sail on the seas, and how a man falls in love with a woman.
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.
20 This is what a woman who (is not faithful to/does not have sex only with) her husband does: She commits adultery [EUP], and [then] bathes and says, “I have not done anything that is wrong!”
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!”
21 There are four things that no [one in] the world can tolerate:
Three things make the earth tremble, there are four things it can't support:
22 [What] a slave [does who] becomes a king, a foolish person eating [too much] food,
a slave becoming a king, a stupid person eating like a pig,
23 [what] a woman who is hated [does when she] gets married, and [what] a female servant [does when she] becomes the boss instead of her mistress.
an unbearable woman getting married, and a maidservant taking her mistress's place.
24 [There are] four animals on the earth that are small, but they are very wise:
There are four things on earth that are small, but very wise:
25 Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer [in order to have it during the winter].
Ants—they're not strong, but they work hard all summer storing up food.
26 Rock badgers [also] are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks [where they will be safe].
Hyraxes—they don't have much power, but they make their homes in the rock.
27 Locusts do not have a king, but they march like [the soldiers in] an army.
Locusts—they don't have a king, but they all march in line abreast.
28 Lizards/Geckos [are very small and] you can hold them in your hand, but they are [cleverly able to get] inside kings’ palaces.
Lizards—you can catch them in your hands, but they live in the king's palace.
29 [There are] four animals that strut around and look very impressive while they walk [DOU]:
There are three things that are glorious to watch as they walk, four that look dignified as they move:
30 Lions, which are stronger than all other animals and are not afraid of any of them;
The lion, supreme among wild animals, who isn't frightened of anything.
31 male goats, strutting roosters, and kings who (parade/walk proudly back and forth) in front of the people whom they rule.
The strutting starling, the male goat, and a king with his army.
32 If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you been planning [to do something] evil, stop it immediately [IDM]!
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.
33 If you churn milk, it produces butter/curds, and if you hit [someone hard on his] nose, [his nose] bleeds; similarly, if you do something to cause [people to become] angry, strife [usually] results.
Just as churning milk produces butter, and twisting someone's nose makes it bleed, so stirring up anger causes arguments.
