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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.

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Footnotes

  1. 30.28 Or spider
  2. 30.31 Gk Syr Tg Compare Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain

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]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

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.

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