Proverbs 30

1 Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.

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 more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.

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

3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.

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

4 Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely 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 saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in 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 reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

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 from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.

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

8 Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,

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 become satiated, and have denied, And have said, 'Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of 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 unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.

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 generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.

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

12 A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.

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

13 A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.

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

14 A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy 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 To the leech [are] two daughters, 'Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said 'Sufficiency;'

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

16 Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, 'Sufficiency,' (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 An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.

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 have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:

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

19 The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart 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 So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, 'I have not done iniquity.'

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

21 For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:

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

22 For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,

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

23 For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.

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

24 Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:

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

25 The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,

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

26 Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,

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

27 A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,

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

28 A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

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

29 Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:

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

30 An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,

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

31 A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.

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

32 If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!

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

33 For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out 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.