Proverbs 30
New King James Version
The Wisdom of Agur
30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 (A)Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom
Nor have (B)knowledge of the Holy One.
4 (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?
5 (E)Every word of God is [a]pure;
(F)He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 (G)Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
(H)Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 (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
- Proverbs 30:5 tested, refined, found pure
- Proverbs 30:13 In arrogance
- Proverbs 30:16 Or Sheol
- Proverbs 30:19 Lit. heart
- Proverbs 30:23 Or hated
- Proverbs 30:26 rock hyraxes
- Proverbs 30:28 Or lizard
- Proverbs 30:31 Or perhaps strutting rooster, lit. girded of waist
- Proverbs 30:31 A Jewish tradition a king against whom there is no uprising
Proverbs 30
New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sayings of Agur
30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.
Thus says the man: I am weary, O God,
I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?[a]
2 Surely I am too stupid to be human;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.[b]
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person’s name?
And what is the name of the person’s child?
Surely you know!
5 Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words,
or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you;
do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that I need,
9 or I shall be full, and deny you,
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or I shall be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to a master,
or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
11 There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes
yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes,
how high their eyelids lift!—
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.
15 The leech[c] 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.”[d]
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.
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 girl.
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats, and wipes her mouth,
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
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;
23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband,
and a maid when she succeeds 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;
26 the badgers are a people without power,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard[e] 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;
31 the strutting rooster,[f] the he-goat,
and a king striding before[g] his people.
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
put your hand on your mouth.
33 For as pressing milk produces curds,
and pressing the nose produces blood,
so pressing anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 Or I am spent. Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 30:3 Or Holy One
- Proverbs 30:15 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 30:16 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 30:28 Or spider
- Proverbs 30:31 Gk Syr Tg Compare Vg: Meaning of Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 30:31 Meaning of Heb uncertain
Proverbs 30
Amplified Bible
The Words of Agur
30 The words of [a]Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle:
The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
2
Surely [b]I am more brutish and stupid than any man,
And I do not have the understanding of a man [for I do not know what I do not know].
3
I have not learned [skillful and godly] wisdom,
Nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One [who is the source of wisdom].
4
Who has ascended into heaven and descended?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has bound the waters in His garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name?
Certainly you know!(A)
5
Every word of God is tested and refined [like silver];
He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.(B)
6
Do not add to His words,
Or He will reprove you, and you will be found a liar.
7
Two things I have asked of You;
Do not deny them to me before I die:
8
Keep deception and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Feed me with the food that is my portion,
9
So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or that I will not be poor and steal,
And so profane the name of my God.(C)
10
Do not slander or malign a servant before his master [stay out of another’s personal life],
Or he will curse you [for your interference], and you will be found guilty.
11
There is a generation (class of people) that curses its father
And does not bless its mother.
12
There is a generation (class of people) that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13
There is a generation (class of people)—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are raised in arrogance.
14
There is a generation (class of people) whose teeth are like swords
And whose jaw teeth are like knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth
And the needy from among men.
15
The leech has two daughters,
“Give, give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four that do not say, “It is enough”:
16
[c]Sheol, and the barren womb,
Earth that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “It is enough.”
17
The eye that mocks a father
And scorns a mother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young vultures will devour it.(D)
18
There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me,
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 middle of the sea,
And the way of a man with a maid.
20
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
21
Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes,
And under four it cannot bear up:
22
Under a servant when he reigns,
Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food,
23
Under an unloved woman when she gets married,
And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.
24
There are four things that are small on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25
The ants are not a strong people,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;(E)
26
The [d]shephanim are not a mighty folk,
Yet they make their houses in the rocks;(F)
27
The locusts have no king,
Yet all of them go out in groups;
28
You may grasp the lizard with your hands,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29
There are three things which are stately in step,
Even four which are stately in their stride:
30
The lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn back before any;
31
The [e]strutting rooster, the male goat also,
And the king when his army is with him.
32
If you have foolishly exalted yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.(G)
33
Surely the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 The identity of Agur, author of this chapter, is uncertain.
- Proverbs 30:2 This may be viewed as either a sarcastic response to an unknown critic, or simply the sincere reflections of a humble man.
- Proverbs 30:16 Hades, the nether world, the place of the dead.
- Proverbs 30:26 Small, shy, furry animals, (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and in the region around the Dead Sea; kjv coney, orig NASB badgers.
- Proverbs 30:31 Lit girt in the loins. The meaning of the Hebrew is unclear. Other translations propose greyhound.
Proverbs 30
Easy-to-Read Version
Wise Sayings of Agur Son of Jakeh
30 These are the wise sayings of Agur son of Jakeh from Massa. He says, “God, I am tired, so tired. How can I keep going?”[a]
2 I am stupid. I am not as smart as other people are. 3 I have not learned to be wise. I know nothing about the Holy One.[b] 4 Who has ever gone up to heaven and come back down? Who gathered the winds in his hand? Who can gather up all the water in his lap? Who set the limits for the world? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Do you know?
5 You can trust this: Every word that God speaks is true. God is a safe place for those who go to him. 6 So don’t try to change what God says. If you do, he will punish you and prove that you are a liar.
7 God, I ask you to do two things for me before I die. 8 Don’t let me tell lies. And don’t make me too rich or too poor—give me only enough food for each day. 9 If I have too much, I might deny that I need you, Lord. But if I am too poor, I might steal and bring shame to the name of my God.
10 Never say bad things about a slave to his master. If you do, he will curse you, and you will suffer for it.
11 Some people curse their fathers and refuse to bless their mothers.
12 Some people think they are pure, but they have done nothing to remove the filth of their sin.
13 Some people are so proud of themselves, and they look down on everyone else.
14 There are people whose teeth are like swords and their jaws like knives. They take everything they can from the poor.
15 Greedy people know only two things[c]: “Give me,” and “Give me.” There are three other things that are never satisfied—really, four things that never have enough: 16 the place of death, a woman with no children, dry ground that needs rain, and a fire that will never stop by itself.
17 People who make fun of their father or refuse to obey their mother should have their eyes plucked out by wild birds and be eaten by vultures.
18 There are three things that are hard for me to understand—really, four things that I don’t understand: 19 an eagle flying in the sky, a snake moving on a rock, a ship moving across the ocean, and a man in love with a woman.
20 A woman who is not faithful to her husband acts innocent. She eats, wipes her mouth, and says she has done nothing wrong.
21 There are three things that make trouble on the earth—really, four that the earth cannot bear: 22 a slave who becomes a king, fools who have everything they need, 23 a woman whose husband hated her but still married her, and a servant girl who becomes ruler over the woman she serves.
24 There are four things on the earth that are small but very wise:
25 Ants are small and weak, but they save their food all summer;
26 badgers are small animals, but they make their homes in the rocks;
27 locusts have no king, but they are able to work together;
28 lizards are small enough to catch with your hands, but you can find them living in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things that act important when they walk—really, there are four:
30 a lion—he is the warrior of the animals and runs from nothing,
31 a rooster walking proudly,[d]
a goat,
and a king among his people.
32 If you have been foolish enough to become proud and make plans against other people, stop and think about what you are doing.
33 Stirring milk causes butter to form. Hitting someone’s nose causes blood to flow. And making people angry causes trouble.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 He says, “God, … keep going?” Or “This is his message to Ithiel and Ucal.”
- Proverbs 30:3 Holy One Literally, “the holy ones.”
- Proverbs 30:15 Literally, “A leech has two daughters.”
- Proverbs 30:31 a rooster walking proudly Or possibly, “a greyhound” or “a war horse.”
Mishle 30
Orthodox Jewish Bible
30 The devarim of Agur Ben Yakeh, even the massa; the gever (man) spoke unto Itiel, even unto Itiel and Uchal:
2 Surely I am more stupid than any ish, and have not the binat adam.
3 I neither learned chochmah, nor have the da’as of the kadoshim.
4 Who hath ascended into Shomayim, or descended? Who hath gathered ruach in the hollows of His hands? Who hath bound the mayim in a cloak? Who hath established all the afsei aretz (ends of the earth)? What is Shmo (His Name), and what is Shem Bno (the Name of His Son [See Memra, creative Word of G-d in Targumim]), if thou canst tell?
5 Every word of G-d is flawless; He is a mogen unto them that take refuge in Him.
6 Add thou not unto His devarim, lest He rebuke thee, and thou be found a kazav (liar).
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before my mot;
8 Remove far from me shav (vanity, falsehood) and davar kazav (word of a liar); give me neither poverty nor osher; feed me lechem chukki (my daily bread);
9 Lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, Who is Hashem? Or lest I be poor, and become a ganav, and profane the Shem of Elohai.
10 Do not slander an eved unto his adon, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 There is a dor (generation) that curseth its av, and doth not make a bracha on its em.
12 There is a dor (generation) that is tahor (pure) in its own eynayim, and yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a dor (generation), O how haughty in loftiness are their eynayim! And their eyelids are proudly lifted up.
14 There is a dor (generation), whose teeth are as charavot (swords), and their jaw teeth are as knives, to devour the aniyim (oppressed poor ones) from off ha’aretz, and the evyonim (needy ones) from among adam.
15 The leech hath two banot: Give! Give! There are shalosh (three) that are never satisfied, indeed, four things never say, Enough!
16 Sheol, and the barren womb; eretz that is never satisfied with mayim; and eish that saith not, Enough!
17 The ayin (eye) that mocketh at av, and scorneth to obey em, the ravens of the valley shall peck it out, and the bnei nesher shall eat it.
18 There are shalosh which are too wonderful for me, indeed, four which I understand not;
19 The derech hanesher (way of the eagle) in the sky; the derech nachash upon a tzur (rock); the derech oniyah (way of a sailing vessel) in the midst of the yam (sea); and the derech gever (way of a man) with an almah (unmarried young virgin; see Gn 24:43,16,63-65.
20 Such is the derech isha mena’efet (way of an adulterous woman): she eateth, and wipeth her peh (mouth), and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 For shalosh the eretz is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22 For an eved (slave) when he reigneth; and a naval (fool) when he is full with lechem;
23 For an unloved woman when she is married; and a shifchah that displaces her gevirah (lady, mistress).
24 There are four things which are little upon eretz, but they are exceeding chachamim:
25 The nemalim (ants) are an am (people) not strong, yet they store up their lechem in the kayitz (summer);
26 The badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their bais in the rocks;
27 The arbeh (locusts) have no melech, yet they go forth all of them in ranks;
28 The lizard can be held in the hands, yet is in heikhelot (palaces) of a melech.
29 There are shloshah which are majestic in stride, indeed, four are stately in walk:
30 A lion which is gibbor among behemah (beasts), and retreateth not from any;
31 The strutting rooster; the he-goat also; and a melech, when his army is with him.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in exalting thyself, or if thou hast devised rah, lay thine yad upon thy peh.
33 Surely the churning of cholov (milk) bringeth forth khemah (butter), and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth dahm; so the stirring up of anger bringeth forth strife.
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