亚古珥的箴言

30 以下是雅基的儿子亚古珥的箴言。

    这人说:上帝啊,我很疲倦;
    上帝啊,我很疲倦,精疲力尽。[a]
我比众人都愚蠢,
    不具备人的悟性。
我从未学到智慧,
    也不认识至圣者。
谁升上高天又降下来?
    谁将风聚在掌中?
    谁将众水裹在衣服里?
    谁定了地的边界?
    祂叫什么名字?
    祂儿子叫什么名字?
    你知道吗?

上帝的话句句千真万确,
    祂作投靠祂之人的盾牌。
你不可对祂的话有所添加,
    免得祂责备你,
    揭穿你的虚谎。

上帝啊,我向你求两件事,
    求你在我未死以前赐给我。
求你使虚伪和谎言远离我,
    求你让我不贫穷也不富足,
    赐给我需用的饮食,
免得我因为饱足就不认你,
    说:“耶和华是谁呢?”
    又恐怕我因穷困而偷窃,
    以致辱没我上帝的名。

10 别向主人毁谤他的仆人,
    免得你受咒诅、担当罪责。

11 有一种[b]人咒诅父亲,
    不为母亲祝福。
12 有一种人自以为纯洁,
    却没有洗掉自己的污秽。
13 有一种人趾高气扬,
    目空一切。
14 有一种人牙如剑,
    齿如刀,
    要吞吃世间的困苦人和贫穷人。

15 水蛭有两个女儿,
    她们不停地叫:“给我!给我!”
三样东西从不知足,
永不言“够”的共有四样:
16 阴间、不孕的妇人、
    干旱的土地和火焰。
17 嘲笑父亲、藐视母亲教诲的,
    眼睛必被谷中的乌鸦啄出,
    被秃鹰吃掉。

18 我测不透的妙事有三样,
我不明白的事共有四样:
19 鹰在空中飞翔之道,
    蛇在石上爬行之道,
    船在海中航行之道,
    男女相爱之道。

20 淫妇的道是这样:
    她吃完就擦擦嘴,
    说,“我没有做坏事。”

21 使大地震动的事有三样,
大地无法承受的事共有四样:
22 奴仆做王,
    愚人吃饱,
23 丑恶女子出嫁,
    婢女取代主母。

24 地上有四种动物,
    身体虽小却极其聪明:
25 蚂蚁力量虽小,
    却在夏天储备粮食;
26 石獾虽不强壮,
    却在岩石中筑巢穴;
27 蝗虫虽无君王,
    却整齐地列队前进;
28 壁虎虽易捕捉,
    却居住在王宫大内。

29 步履威武的有三样,
走路雄壮的共有四样:
30 威震百兽、从不畏缩的狮子,
31 昂首阔步的雄鸡,
    公山羊和率领军队的君王。
32 你若行事愚昧、
    妄自尊大或图谋不轨,
    就当用手掩口。
33 激起愤怒会引起争端,
    正如搅牛奶会搅出奶油,
    拧鼻子会拧出血。

Footnotes

  1. 30:1 希伯来文或译“这人对以铁说,对以铁和乌甲说:”
  2. 30:11 ”希伯来文是“世代”,11-14节也相同。

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.

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