Proverbs 30:10-31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
10 Do not slander a servant to a master,
lest the servant curse you, and you be held guilty.(A)
11 There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.(B)
12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes,
yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.(C)
13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!—(D)
14 there are those whose teeth are swords,
whose teeth are knives
to devour the poor from off the earth,
the needy from among mortals.(E)
15 The leech has two daughters;
“Give, give,” they cry.
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough”:
16 Sheol, the barren womb,
the earth ever-thirsty for water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”(F)
17 The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.(G)
18 Three things are too wonderful for me;
four 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 woman.
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”(H)
21 Under three things the earth trembles;
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a slave when he becomes king
and a fool when glutted with food,(I)
23 a contemptible woman when she gets a husband
and a maid when she supplants her mistress.
24 Four things on earth are small,
yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people without strength,
yet they provide their food in the summer;(J)
26 the badgers are a people without power,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;(K)
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard[a] can be grasped in the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their gait:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
and does not turn back before any;(L)
31 the strutting rooster,[b] the he-goat,
and a king against whom none can stand.
Proverbs 30:10-31
New International Version
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;(A)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes(B)
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(C)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,(D)
whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth(E) are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives(F)
to devour(G) the poor(H) from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.(I)
15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,(J)
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave,(K) the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 “The eye that mocks(L) a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.(M)
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.’(N)
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(O)
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;(P)
26 hyraxes(Q) are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(R) 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.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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