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當認識投靠至聖者

30 雅基的兒子亞古珥的話,是 神的默示。

這人對以鐵,對以鐵和烏甲宣講:

“我比眾人更愚頑,

也沒有聰明。

我沒有學習智慧,

也不曉得有關至聖者的知識。

誰升上天,又降下來呢?

誰收聚風在掌中呢?

誰包水在衣服裡呢?

誰立定地的四極呢?

他的名字叫甚麼?他兒子的名字叫甚麼?

你知道嗎?

 神所說的話句句都是煉淨的,

投靠他的,他就作他們的盾牌。

他的話語,你不可增添;

恐怕他責備你,你就表明是說謊的。

我有兩件事求你,

在我死去以前,求你答應我。

求你使虛假和謊言遠離我;

不要使我貧窮,也不要使我富裕,

只要給我需用的食物。

免得我吃飽了,就不認你,說:

‘耶和華是誰?’

又恐怕我貧窮,就偷竊,

污瀆了我 神的名。

觀察世事領悟教訓

10 “不要向主人誹謗他的僕人,

恐怕他咒詛你,你就判為有罪。

11 有一種人(“有一種人”直譯是“有一世代”)咒詛父親,

又不給母親祝福。

12 有一種人自以為清潔,

卻沒有洗去自己的污穢。

13 有一種人眼目多麼高傲,

他們的眼睛,長在頂上。

14 有一種人牙如劍,

齒如刀,

要吞滅地上的困苦人

和世人中的貧窮人。

15 水蛭有兩個女兒,常說:‘給我!給我!’

不知足的東西有三樣,

連總不說‘夠了’的共有四樣,

16 就是陰間、不能生育的婦人、

水源不足之地

和總不說‘夠了’的火。

17 嘲笑父親,

藐視年老母親的,

他的眼必被谷中的烏鴉啄出來,

給雛鷹所吃。

18 我測不透的奇事有三樣,

連我不知道的,共有四樣:

19 就是鷹在空中飛翔之道,

蛇在磐石上爬行之道,

船在海中航行之道,

男與女交合之道。

20 淫婦的行徑是這樣的:

她吃了,把嘴一抹,

就說:‘我沒有作錯事。’

21 使地震動的事有三樣,

連地也擔當不起的,共有四樣:

22 就是奴僕作王,

愚頑人吃得飽,

23 被人厭惡的女子出嫁,

婢女接替主母的地位。

24 地上有四樣小東西,

非常聰明:

25 螞蟻是微小的昆蟲,

卻能在夏天預備糧食。

26 石貛並不是強壯的動物,

卻能在巖石中做窟。

27 蝗蟲沒有君王,

卻能成群列隊出發。

28 壁虎雖可以用手捕捉,

卻住在王宮中。

29 步伐威武的東西有三樣,

連行走威武的,共有四樣:

30 就是在百獸中最威猛的獅子,

牠面對任何野獸,也不會退縮;

31 還有高視闊步的(“高視闊步的”原文作“束著腰的”,意義隱晦;現參古譯本改譯。)雄雞和公山羊,

以及率領軍兵的君王。

32 如果你行事愚昧,自高自大,

或是心懷惡計,就要用手掩口。

33 攪動牛乳必生出乳酪,

緊壓鼻子必壓出血來,

激起怒氣必產生紛爭。”

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

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

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

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?

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

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

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

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

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

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

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

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

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 horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is 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 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 be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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 Wisdom of Agur

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

(A)Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
I neither learned wisdom
Nor have (B)knowledge of the Holy One.

(C)Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
(D)Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound 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,
If you know?

(E)Every word of God is [a]pure;
(F)He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
(G)Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
(H)Feed me with the food allotted to me;
(I)Lest I be full and deny You,
And say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.

10 Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.

11 There is a generation that curses its (J)father,
And does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation (K)that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a generation—oh, how (L)lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are [b]lifted up.
14 (M)There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives,
(N)To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters—
Give and Give!

There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16 (O)The[c] grave,
The barren womb,
The earth that is not satisfied with water—
And the fire never says, “Enough!”

17 (P)The eye that mocks his father,
And scorns obedience to his mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the [d]midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.

20 This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wickedness.”

21 For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22 (Q)For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23 A [e]hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

24 There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25 (R)The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 (S)The [f]rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
28 The [g]spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things which are majestic in pace,
Yes, four which are stately in walk:
30 A lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;
31 A [h]greyhound,
A male goat also,
And [i]a king whose troops are with him.

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, (T)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For as the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,
So the forcing of wrath produces strife.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:5 tested, refined, found pure
  2. Proverbs 30:13 In arrogance
  3. Proverbs 30:16 Or Sheol
  4. Proverbs 30:19 Lit. heart
  5. Proverbs 30:23 Or hated
  6. Proverbs 30:26 rock hyraxes
  7. Proverbs 30:28 Or lizard
  8. Proverbs 30:31 Or perhaps strutting rooster, lit. girded of waist
  9. Proverbs 30:31 A Jewish tradition a king against whom there is no uprising

The Words of Agur

30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.[a]

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.[b]
Surely I am too (A)stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of (B)the Holy One.
Who has (C)ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has (D)gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has (E)wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all (F)the ends of the earth?
(G)What is his name, and what is his son's name?
    Surely you know!

(H)Every word of God proves true;
    he is (I)a shield to those who take refuge in him.
(J)Do not add to his words,
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Two things I ask of you;
    deny them not to me (K)before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is (L)needful for me,
lest I be (M)full and (N)deny you
    and say, (O)“Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
    (P)and profane the name of my God.

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

11 There are those[c] who (S)curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.
12 There are those who are (T)clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.
13 There are those—how (U)lofty are their eyes,
    how high their eyelids lift!
14 There are those whose teeth are (V)swords,
    whose (W)fangs are knives,
to (X)devour the poor from off the earth,
    the needy from among mankind.

15 The leech has two daughters:
    Give and Give.[d]
(Y)Three things are never satisfied;
    (Z)four never say, “Enough”:
16 (AA)Sheol, (AB)the barren womb,
    the land never satisfied with water,
    and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

17 The eye that (AC)mocks a father
    and (AD)scorns to obey a mother
will (AE)be picked out by (AF)the ravens of the valley
    and eaten by the vultures.

18 (AG)Three things are (AH)too wonderful for me;
    (AI)four I do not understand:
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 virgin.

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

21 Under (AJ)three things (AK)the earth trembles;
    under (AL)four it cannot bear up:
22 (AM)a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is (AN)filled with food;
23 (AO)an unloved woman when she (AP)gets a husband,
    and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

24 (AQ)Four things on earth are small,
    but they are exceedingly wise:
25 (AR)the ants are a people not strong,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 (AS)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
    yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no (AT)king,
    yet all of them march in (AU)rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
    yet it is in kings' palaces.

29 (AV)Three things are stately in their tread;
    (AW)four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
    and (AX)does not turn back before any;
31 the (AY)strutting rooster,[e] the he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.[f]

32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
    or if you have been devising evil,
    (AZ)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:1 Or Jakeh, the man of Massa
  2. Proverbs 30:1 Revocalization; Hebrew The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal
  3. Proverbs 30:11 Hebrew There is a generation; also verses 12, 13, 14
  4. Proverbs 30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry
  5. Proverbs 30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins
  6. Proverbs 30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up