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29 One who stays stubborn after many corrections
    will be suddenly broken, beyond healing.
When the righteous become numerous, the people rejoice,
    but when the wicked dominate, the people moan.
A man who loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
    but one who spends time with prostitutes destroys riches.
A king gives stability to the land by justice,
    but one who imposes heavy taxes tears it down.
People who flatter their friends
    spread out a net for their feet.
The wicked are snared by their own sin;[a]
    the righteous sing and rejoice.
The righteous know the rights of the poor,
    but the wicked don’t understand.
Mockers set a city on fire,
    but the wise turn back anger.
When the wise make a legal charge against the foolish,
    the fools shout, they laugh—there is no calm.
10 Murderous people hate the innocent,
    and they seek the lives of the virtuous.
11 Fools show all their anger,
    but the wise hold it back.
12 If a ruler listens to lies,
    those who serve him will be wicked.
13 The poor and their oppressors have a common bond—
    the Lord gives light to the eyes of both.
14 If a king judges the poor honestly,
    his throne will be established forever.
15 The rod and correction lead to wisdom,
    but children out of control shame their mothers.
16 When the wicked become numerous, so do crimes;
    the righteous will see their downfall.
17 Instruct your children; they will give you peace of mind
    and bring delight into your life.
18 When there’s no vision, the people get out of control,
    but whoever obeys instruction is happy.
19 Servants aren’t disciplined by words;
    they might understand, but they don’t respond.
20 Do you see people who are quick to speak?
    There is more hope for fools than for them.
21 Pamper servants from a young age,
    and later on there will be trouble.
22 Angry people stir up conflict;
    hotheads cause much offense.
23 Pride lays people low,
    but those of humble spirit gain honor.
24 Those who share plunder with thieves hate themselves;
    even under oath, they don’t testify.
25 People are trapped by their fear of others;
    those who trust the Lord are secure.
26 Many seek access to the ruler,
    but justice comes from the Lord.
27 The unjust person is disgusting to the righteous;
    the straight path is disgusting to the wicked.

Words of Agur

30 The words of Agur, Jakeh’s son, from Massa.

The man declares: I’m tired, God;
    I’m tired, God, and I’m exhausted.
Actually, I’m too stupid to be human,
    a man without understanding.
I haven’t learned wisdom,
    nor do I have knowledge of the holy one.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind by the handful?
    Who has bound up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
    What is this person’s name and the name of this person’s child—
            if you know it?

All God’s words are tried and true;
    a shield for those who take refuge in him.
Don’t add to his words,
    or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.

Two things I ask of you;
    don’t keep them from me before I die:
Fraud and lies—
    keep far from me!
Don’t give me either poverty or wealth;
    give me just the food I need.
    Or I’ll be full and deny you,
    and say, “Who is the Lord?”
    Or I’ll be poor and steal,
    and dishonor my God’s name.

More sayings of the wise

10 Don’t slander a servant to his master;
    otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.

11 There are those who curse their father
    and don’t bless their mother.
12 There are those who think they are clean,
    but haven’t washed off their own excrement.
13 There are those—
    how arrogant are their eyes;
    how their eyebrows are raised!
14 There are those whose teeth are swords;
    their jaw is a butcher’s knife,
    ready to devour the needy from the earth,
    and the poor from humanity.

15 The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!”
    There are three things that are never satisfied,
    four that never say, “Enough!”:
16         the grave[b] and a barren womb,
        a land never filled with water,
        and fire that doesn’t say, “Enough!”

17 An eye that mocks a father
    and rejects obedience to a mother,
    may the ravens of the river valley peck it out,
    and the eagle’s young eat it.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me,
    four that I can’t figure out:
19         the way of an eagle in the sky,
        the way of a snake on the rock,
        the way of a ship out on the open sea,
        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 she says, “I’ve done nothing wrong!”

21 At three things the earth trembles,
    at four it can’t bear up:
22         at a servant when he becomes king
        and fools when they are full of food;
23         at a detested woman when she gets married
        and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.

24 Four things are among the smallest on earth,
    but they are extremely wise:
25     Ants as creatures aren’t strong,
            but they store away their food in the summer.
26     Badgers as creatures aren’t powerful,
            but they make their homes in the rocks.
27     Locusts don’t have a king,
            but they march together in ranks.
28     You can catch lizards in your hand,
            but they are in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things that are excellent in their stride,
    four that are excellent as they walk:
30     a lion, a warrior among beasts,
            which doesn’t back down at anything;
31     the strut of a rooster or a male goat;
    and a king with his army.

32 If you’ve been foolish and arrogant,
    if you’ve been scheming,
    put your hand to your mouth,
33         because churning milk makes curds,
        squeezing the nose brings blood,
        and stirring up anger produces strife.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:6 Tg, Syr; MT In the sin of an evil man is a snare
  2. Proverbs 30:16 Heb Sheol

29 Whoever remains stiff-necked(A) after many rebukes
    will suddenly be destroyed(B)—without remedy.(C)

When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;(D)
    when the wicked rule,(E) the people groan.(F)

A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,(G)
    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.(H)

By justice a king gives a country stability,(I)
    but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.

Those who flatter their neighbors
    are spreading nets for their feet.(J)

Evildoers are snared by their own sin,(K)
    but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

The righteous care about justice for the poor,(L)
    but the wicked have no such concern.

Mockers stir up a city,
    but the wise turn away anger.(M)

If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
    the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity
    and seek to kill the upright.(N)

11 Fools give full vent to their rage,(O)
    but the wise bring calm in the end.(P)

12 If a ruler(Q) listens to lies,
    all his officials become wicked.(R)

13 The poor and the oppressor have this in common:
    The Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.(S)

14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
    his throne will be established forever.(T)

15 A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,
    but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.(U)

16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
    but the righteous will see their downfall.(V)

17 Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;
    they will bring you the delights you desire.(W)

18 Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;
    but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.(X)

19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;
    though they understand, they will not respond.

20 Do you see someone who speaks in haste?
    There is more hope for a fool than for them.(Y)

21 A servant pampered from youth
    will turn out to be insolent.

22 An angry person stirs up conflict,
    and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.(Z)

23 Pride brings a person low,(AA)
    but the lowly in spirit gain honor.(AB)

24 The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;
    they are put under oath and dare not testify.(AC)

25 Fear(AD) of man will prove to be a snare,
    but whoever trusts in the Lord(AE) is kept safe.(AF)

26 Many seek an audience with a ruler,(AG)
    but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.(AH)

27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
    the wicked detest the upright.(AI)

Sayings of Agur

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

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

“I am weary, God,
    but I can prevail.[b]
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.(AK)
Who has gone up(AL) to heaven and come down?
    Whose hands(AM) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(AN) in a cloak?(AO)
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(AP) and what is the name of his son?
    Surely you know!

“Every word of God is flawless;(AQ)
    he is a shield(AR) to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add(AS) 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.(AT)
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown(AU) you
    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’(AV)
Or I may become poor and steal,
    and so dishonor the name of my God.(AW)

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;(AX)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes(AY)
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(AZ)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,(BA)
    whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth(BB) are swords
    and whose jaws are set with knives(BC)
to devour(BD) the poor(BE) from the earth
    and the needy from among mankind.(BF)

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

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

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

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.’(BK)

21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
    under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(BL)
    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;(BM)
26 hyraxes(BN) are creatures of little power,
    yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(BO) 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.[c]

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

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:4 Or who give
  2. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
  3. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.