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 son of Jakeh of Massa. The man says to Ith'i-el, to Ith'i-el and Ucal:

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

2. Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.

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

3. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

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 has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!

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

5. Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

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

6. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

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

7. Two things I ask of thee; deny them not to me 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 falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful 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 profane the name of my God.

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

10. Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

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

11. There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

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

12. There are those who are pure in their own eyes but are not cleansed of their filth.

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

13. There are those -- how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!

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 are those whose teeth are swords, whose teeth are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, 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 leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":

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

16. Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire which never says, "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 mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

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

18. Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:

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 sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a maiden.

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

20. This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wrong."

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

21. Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:

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

22. a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;

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

23. an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.

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

24. Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly 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 provide their food in the summer;

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

26. the badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

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

27. the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;

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

28. the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings' palaces.

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

29. Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:

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

30. the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;

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

31. the strutting cock, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people.

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 you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your 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. For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.