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亚古珥之箴言

30 雅基的儿子亚古珥的言语,就是真言。

这人对以铁乌甲说:我比众人更蠢笨,也没有人的聪明。 我没有学好智慧,也不认识至圣者。 谁升天又降下来?谁聚风在掌握中?谁包水在衣服里?谁立定地的四极?他名叫什么?他儿子名叫什么?你知道吗?

神的言语句句都是炼净的,投靠他的,他便做他们的盾牌。 他的言语你不可加添,恐怕他责备你,你就显为说谎言的。

我求你两件事,在我未死之先不要不赐给我: 求你使虚假和谎言远离我;使我也不贫穷也不富足,赐给我需用的饮食。 恐怕我饱足不认你,说:“耶和华是谁呢?”又恐怕我贫穷就偷窃,以致亵渎我神的名。

10 你不要向主人谗谤仆人,恐怕他咒诅你,你便算为有罪。

11 有一宗[a]人,咒诅父亲,不给母亲祝福。 12 有一宗人,自以为清洁,却没有洗去自己的污秽。 13 有一宗人,眼目何其高傲,眼皮也是高举。 14 有一宗人,牙如剑,齿如刀,要吞灭地上的困苦人和世间的穷乏人。

15 蚂蟥有两个女儿,常说:“给呀!给呀!”有三样不知足的,连不说够的共有四样, 16 就是阴间和石胎,浸水不足的地,并火。

17 戏笑父亲,藐视而不听从母亲的,他的眼睛必为谷中的乌鸦啄出来,为鹰雏所吃。

18 我所测不透的奇妙有三样,连我所不知道的共有四样, 19 就是鹰在空中飞的道,蛇在磐石上爬的道,船在海中行的道,男与女交合的道。 20 淫妇的道也是这样,她吃了把嘴一擦,就说:“我没有行恶。”

21 使地震动的有三样,连地担不起的共有四样, 22 就是仆人做王,愚顽人吃饱, 23 丑恶的女子出嫁,婢女接续主母。

24 地上有四样小物,却甚聪明: 25 蚂蚁是无力之类,却在夏天预备粮食; 26 沙番是软弱之类,却在磐石中造房; 27 蝗虫没有君王,却分队而出; 28 守宫用爪抓墙,却住在王宫。

29 步行威武的有三样,连行走威武的共有四样, 30 就是狮子,乃百兽中最为猛烈、无所躲避的, 31 猎狗、公山羊和无人能敌的君王。

32 你若行事愚顽自高自傲,或是怀了恶念,就当用手捂口。 33 摇牛奶必成奶油,扭鼻子必出血,照样,激动怒气必起争端。

Footnotes

  1. 箴言 30:11 “宗”原文作“代”,下同。

The Sayings of Agur

30 These are the sayings
and the message
    of Agur son of Jakeh.
Someone cries out to God,
“I am completely worn out!
    How can I last?[a]
I am far too stupid
    to be considered human.
I never was wise,
and I don't understand
    what God is like.”

(A) Has anyone gone up to heaven
    and come back down?
Has anyone grabbed hold
    of the wind?
Has anyone wrapped up the sea
or marked out boundaries
    for the earth?
If you know of any
    who have done such things,
then tell me their names
    and their children's names.

Everything God says is true—
and it's a shield for all
    who come to him for safety.
Don't change what God has said!
He will correct you and show
    that you are a liar.

There are two things, Lord,
I want you to do for me
    before I die:
Make me absolutely honest
and don't let me be too poor
    or too rich.
Give me just what I need.
If I have too much to eat,
    I might forget about you;
if I don't have enough,
I might steal
    and disgrace your name.

10 Don't tell a slave owner
something bad about one
    of the slaves.
That slave will curse you,
    and you will be in trouble.

11 Some people curse their father
    and even their mother;
12 others think they are perfect,
    but they are stained by sin.
13 Some people are stuck-up
    and act like snobs;
14 others are so greedy
that they gobble up
    the poor and homeless.

15 Greed[b] has twins,
    each named “Give me!”
There are three or four things
    that are never satisfied:
16 The world of the dead
    and a childless wife,
the thirsty earth
    and a flaming fire.

17 Don't make fun of your father
    or disobey your mother—
crows will peck out your eyes,
and buzzards will eat
    the rest of you.

18 There are three or four things
    I cannot understand:
19 (B) How eagles fly so high
    or snakes crawl on rocks,
how ships sail the ocean
    or people fall in love.

20 An unfaithful wife says,
“Sleeping with another man
    is as natural as eating.”

21 There are three or four things
that make the earth tremble
    and are unbearable:
22 A slave who becomes king,
    a fool who eats too much,
23 a hateful woman
    who finds a husband,
and a slave who takes the place
    of the woman who owns her.

24 On this earth four things
    are small but very wise:
25 Ants, who seem to be feeble,
but store up food
    all summer long;
26 badgers, who seem to be weak,
    but live among the rocks;
27 locusts, who have no king,
    but march like an army;
28 lizards,[c] which can be caught
in your hand,
    but sneak into palaces.

29 Three or four creatures
    really strut around:
30 Those fearless lions
    who rule the jungle,
31 those proud roosters,
    those mountain goats,
and those rulers
    who have no enemies.[d]

32 If you are foolishly bragging
or planning something evil,
    then stop it now!
33 If you churn milk
    you get butter;
if you pound on your nose,
    you get blood—
and if you stay angry,
    you get in trouble.

Footnotes

  1. 30.1 last: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 1.
  2. 30.15 Greed: Or “A leech.”
  3. 30.28 lizards: Or “spiders.”
  4. 30.31 enemies: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 31.

Sayings of Agur

30 The sayings(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.[a]
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(B)
Who has gone up(C) to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(E) in a cloak?(F)
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(G) and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!

“Every word of God is flawless;(H)
    he is a shield(I) to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add(J) to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.(K)
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown(L) you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’(M)
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.(N)

10 “Do not slander a servant to their master,
    or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

11 “There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers;(O)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes(P)
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(Q)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,(R)
    whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth(S) are swords
    and whose jaws are set with knives(T)
to devour(U) the poor(V) from the earth
    and the needy from among mankind.(W)

15 “The leech has two daughters.
    ‘Give! Give!’ they cry.

“There are three things that are never satisfied,(X)
    four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave,(Y) the barren womb,
    land, which is never satisfied with water,
    and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

17 “The eye that mocks(Z) a father,
    that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
    will be eaten by the vultures.(AA)

18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
    four that I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
    She eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’(AB)

21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(AC)
    a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
    and a servant who displaces her mistress.

24 “Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
    yet they store up their food in the summer;(AD)
26 hyraxes(AE) are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(AF) have no king,
    yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
    four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
    who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
    and a king secure against revolt.[b]

32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
    or if you plan evil,
    clap your hand over your mouth!(AG)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
    and as twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
  2. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

The Sayings of Agur[a]

The sayings of Agur, son of Jakeh, from Massa:[b]

This is my statement: I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.

Like Job[c]

I count myself among the most stupid of men,
    and I am bereft of human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor do I have any knowledge of the Most Holy One.
Who has ever gone up to heaven and come down again?
    Who has cupped the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped the waters in the fold of his garment?
    Who has established all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name or the name of his son?
    Do you know it?[d]
Every word of God has proved to be true;
    he is a shield to those who trust in him.[e]
Add nothing to his words,
    lest he reprove you and expose you as a fraud.

Like Solomon[f]

Two things[g] I ask of you;
    do not deny them to me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lying far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but simply provide me with the food that I need.
For if I have too much, I may deny you
    and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am destitute, I may begin to steal
    and profane the name of my God.

People with Neither Faith Nor Law[h]

10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
    lest he curse you and you will be held guilty
11 There are those who curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.[i]
12 They regard themselves as pure
    and yet have not been cleansed of their filth.
13 They have eyes that are haughty[j]
    and glances that reveal their disdain.
14 They have teeth that are swords
    and jaws that are knives.
They devour the poor of the earth
    and the needy from among men.

VIII: Numerical Proverbs[k]

Insatiable Things[l]

15 The leech has two daughters,
    each of whom demands, “Give! Give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
    four that never say “Enough!”:
16 The netherworld and the barren womb,
    the earth that is thirsty for water,
    and fire that never says “Enough!”

Woe to the Wicked Son

17 The eye that mocks a father
    or shows scorn to an aged mother
will be plucked out by the ravens of the valley
    and eaten by the vultures.[m]

The Astounding Mystery of Generation

18 There are three things too wonderful for me to comprehend,
    four that are beyond my understanding:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake over a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a maiden.[n]

“I Have Done Nothing Wrong”[o]

20 This is the way of an adulteress:
    she eats, then wipes her mouth
    and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”

The Insolence of the Newly Successful

21 There are three things that cause the earth to tremble,
    indeed four things that it cannot endure:
22 a slave crowned as a king,
    a fool gorged with food,
23 a hateful woman when she snares a husband,
    and a servant girl when she supplants her mistress.

The Resourceful Little Ones[p]

24 There are four creatures among the tiniest on the earth
    who are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 the ants, a species without strength,
    yet they gather their food in the summer;
26 the rock-badgers, a species without power,
    yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 the locusts, a species without a king,
    yet they all march forth in formation;
28 the lizards, a species you can catch in your hands,
    yet they are found in the palaces of kings.

The King, Majestic among Other Animals[q]

29 There are three creatures that are stately in their stride,
    four that are stately as they walk:
30 the lion, the mightiest of wild animals,
    who retreats from nothing;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat,[r]
    and a king at the head of his army.

Silence Is Golden, Especially in Time of Anger

32 If you have been foolish enough to exalt yourself[s]
    or if you have devised evil,
    put your hand over your mouth.
33 For as churning the milk produces curds
    and twisting the nose produces blood,
    so stirring up anger produces strife.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:1 This is a short collection of the sayings of a foreigner, one of the “sons of the East” whose wisdom was greatly esteemed (1 Ki 5:10; Jer 49:7), men such as Lemuel (see Prov 31:1-9) or Job and his friends. Agur may be an imaginary personage, but bringing him on the scene is evidence that wisdom transcends the borders of the chosen people. Wisdom is universal and must welcome the truth wherever it is found. Agur is a simple man, amazed by the mystery of nature, who humbly prays for perseverance.
  2. Proverbs 30:1 The second part of this verse presents translation difficulties. Both the Vulgate and the Septuagint have different interpretations. Massa: an Ishmaelite tribe north of Arabia, in the eastern part of Palestine (see Gen 25:14).
  3. Proverbs 30:2 In this dialogue with God, the sage loses all his assurance; he is no longer the man who knows everything. The mystery of God is divined in creation, but who could attain such knowledge! Can human beings do anything else but respectfully embrace his word, i.e., the Law and the Prophets and perhaps the teachings of the sages?
  4. Proverbs 30:4 See the similar use of rhetorical questions to express God’s greatness in Job 38:4-11; Isa 40:12. Do you know it?: see Job 38:4.
  5. Proverbs 30:5 This verse is very close to Ps 18:31.
  6. Proverbs 30:7 In a humble prayer, human beings can ask for a good heart and, for the rest, their share of bread: what is necessary suffices (see Mt 6:11). Indeed, if wretchedness leads to the edge of revolt, wealth easily leads to contempt for God.
  7. Proverbs 30:7 Two things: these sayings are fond of using lists (see vv. 15, 18, 21, 24, 29). See note on Prov 6:16-19.
  8. Proverbs 30:10 After verse 10, there is a diatribe against falsehood and violence, i.e., the crime of those who wish to dominate by despising others.
  9. Proverbs 30:11 See note on Prov 20:20.
  10. Proverbs 30:13 Eyes that are haughty: see note on Prov 6:17.
  11. Proverbs 30:15 These are termed “numerical proverbs” because they use numbers: There are three things . . . four . . .; these figures stand for a quantity that cannot be exactly counted. They propose a truth in a witty way that constitutes their charm (see also note on Prov 6:16-19). Some proverbs of another kind (vv. 17-20, 32-33) have slipped in like intruders in this short collection.
  12. Proverbs 30:15 Here we see presented the leech, model of the parasite. Then the proverb evokes the power of a desire that is never fulfilled. The netherworld is the abyss of death that ceaselessly swallows up human generations.
  13. Proverbs 30:17 See verse 11 and note on Prov 20:20.
  14. Proverbs 30:19 The way of a man with a maiden: an obscure saying that may mean how a man is born of a young woman (see Ps 139:13-18), or how the affection that draws a man to a young woman is awakened in him.
  15. Proverbs 30:20 A reader who has misunderstood the poetry in the preceding verses has added this reflection, which is closer to his moralizing preoccupations: the adulteress is cunning enough to camouflage her offense.
  16. Proverbs 30:24 The labor of the ant has already been cited, e.g., in Prov 6:6-8. The rock-badger, a small mammiferous savage, shows how to find shelter even if one is not among the powerful. In evoking the lizard, one is undoubtedly thinking of the courtesan of modest state who comes to sneak into the palace where she does nothing but gild herself in the king’s sunshine.
  17. Proverbs 30:29 Here we have a bit of popular irony before a ceremonial parade. True majesty is something else.
  18. Proverbs 30:31 He-goat: goats were used to lead flocks of sheep (see Jer 50:8; Dan 8:5).
  19. Proverbs 30:32 Exalt yourself: see condemnation of pride in Prov 8:13; 11:2; 16:18. Devised evil: see Prov 6:14; 16:27. Put your hand over your mouth: i.e., cease your plotting (see Job 21:5; 40:4).