Proverbs, 30

1. The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh, of Massa. Prophecy of this man for Ithiel, for Ithiel and for Ucal.

1. The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

2. I am myself the stupidest of people, bereft of human intelligence,

2. Surely I [am] more brutish than [any] man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3. I have not learnt wisdom, and I lack the knowledge of the holy ones.

3. I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

4. Who has mounted to the heavens, then come down again? Who has gathered the wind in the clasp of his hand? Who has wrapped the waters in his cloak? Who has set all the ends of the earth firm? What is his name? What is his child's name? Do you know?

4. Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?

5. Every word of God is unalloyed, a shield to those who take refuge in him.

5. Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6. To his words make no addition, lest he reprove you and account you a liar.

6. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7. Two things I beg of you, do not grudge me them before I die:

7. Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:

8. keep falsehood and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches, grant me only my share of food,

8. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

9. for fear that, surrounded by plenty, I should fall away and say, 'Yahweh-who is Yahweh?' or else, in destitution, take to stealing and profane the name of my God.

9. Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].

10. Do not blacken a slave's name to his master, lest he curse you, and you suffer for it.

10. Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

11. There is a breed of person that curses his father and does not bless his mother;

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

12. a breed that, laying claim to purity, has not yet been cleansed of its filth;

12. [There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not washed from their filthiness.

13. a breed haughty of eye, with disdain in every glance;

13. [There is] a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14. a breed with swords for teeth, with knives for jaws, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from the land.

14. [There is] a generation, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from [among] men.

15. The leech has two daughters: 'Give! Give!' There are three insatiable things, four, indeed, that never say, 'Enough!'

15. The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] enough:

16. Sheol, the barren womb, earth which can never have its fill of water, fire which never says, 'Enough!'

16. The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough.

17. The eye which looks jeeringly on a father, and scorns the obedience due to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, and eaten by the vultures.

17. The eye [that] mocketh at [his] father, and despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18. There are three things beyond my comprehension, four, indeed, that I do not understand:

18. There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

19. the way of an eagle through the skies, the way of a snake over the rock, the way of a ship in mid-ocean, the way of a man with a girl.

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 with a maid.

20. This is how an adulteress behaves: she eats, then wipes her mouth and says, 'I have done nothing wrong!'

20. Such [is] the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21. There are three things at which the earth trembles, four, indeed, which it cannot endure:

21. For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and for four [which] it cannot bear:

22. a slave become king, a brute gorged with food,

22. For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23. a hateful woman wed at last, a servant girl inheriting from her mistress.

23. For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24. There are four creatures little on the earth, though they are wisest of the wise:

24. There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise:

25. ants, a race with no strength, yet in the summer they make sure of their food;

25. The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26. the coneys, a race without defences, yet they make their home in the rocks;

26. The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27. locusts, which have no king, yet they all march in good order;

27. The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28. lizards, which you can catch in your hand, yet they frequent the palaces of kings.

28. The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

29. There are three things of stately tread, four, indeed, of stately walk:

29. There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

30. the lion, bravest of beasts, he will draw back from nothing;

30. A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31. a vigorous cock, a he-goat, and the king when he harangues his people.

31. A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom [there is] no rising up.

32. If you have been foolish enough to fly into a passion and now have second thoughts, lay your hand on your lips.

32. If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy mouth.

33. For by churning the milk you produce butter, by wringing the nose you produce blood, and by whipping up anger you produce strife.

33. Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.