Proverbs 30
Complete Jewish Bible
30 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, the prophecy. The man says to Iti’el, to Iti’el and Ukhal:
2 I am more boorish than anyone,
I lack human discernment;
3 I have not learned enough wisdom
to know the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has cupped the wind in the palms of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?
Who established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is his son’s name?
Surely you know!
5 Every word of God’s is pure;
he shields those taking refuge in him.
6 Don’t add anything to his words;
or he will rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 [God,] I have asked two things of you;
don’t deny them to me as long as I live —
8 keep falsehood and futility far from me,
and give me neither poverty nor wealth.
Yes, provide just the food I need today;
9 for if I have too much, I might deny you
and say, “Who is Adonai?”
And if I am poor, I might steal
and thus profane the name of my God.
10 Never disparage a slave to his master,
or he will curse you, and you will deserve it.
11 There is a type of people who curse their fathers
and don’t bless their mothers.
12 There is a type of people clean in their own view,
but not cleansed from their filth.
13 There is a type of people — how haughty their look! —
utterly supercilious!
14 There is a type of people whose teeth are like swords,
yes, their fangs are knives;
they devour the poor from the earth,
the needy from humankind.
15 The leech has two daughters;
they cry, “Give! Give!”
Three things are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough!” —
16 Sh’ol and a barren womb;
the earth, never satisfied with water;
and fire, which never says, “Enough!”
17 The eye that mocks his father
and scorns obeying his mother
will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley,
and the vultures will eat it.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me,
four beyond my knowledge —
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the open sea,
and the way of a man with a girl.
20 This is how an unfaithful wife behaves:
she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, “I did nothing wrong.”
21 Three things make the earth quake,
four things it can’t bear —
22 a slave who becomes king,
a boor gorged with food,
23 a hated [wife] when her husband takes her [back],
and a slave-girl who inherits from her mistress.
24 Four things on the earth are small;
nevertheless, they are very wise —
25 the ants, a species not strong,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 the coneys, a species with little power,
yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 the locusts, who have no king,
yet they all march out in ranks;
28 and the spiders, which you can catch in your hand,
yet they are in the king’s palace.
29 Three things are stately in their stride,
four of stately gait —
30 the lion, mightiest of beasts,
which turns aside for none;
31 the greyhound, the billy-goat
and the king when his army is with him.
32 If you have been boorish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been scheming,
lay your hand on your mouth.
33 For as pressing milk produces butter
and pressing the nose produces blood,
so pressing out anger produces strife.
Proverbs 30
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Sayings of Agur
30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa.[a]
The man says to Ith′i-el,
to Ith′i-el and Ucal:[b]
2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man.
I have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has wrapped up 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?
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,
lest he rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of thee;
deny them not 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 is needful for me,
9 lest I be full, and deny thee,
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.
10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you 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
but are not cleansed of their filth.
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 men.
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 which never says, “Enough.”[d]
17 The eye that mocks a father
and scorns to obey a mother
will be picked 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 serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
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 he is filled 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,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their tread;
four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and does not turn back before any;
31 the strutting cock,[e] the he-goat,
and a king striding before[f] 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 pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 Or the oracle
- Proverbs 30:1 The Hebrew of this verse is obscure
- Proverbs 30:15 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Proverbs 30:16 Heb obscure
- Proverbs 30:31 Gk Syr Tg Compare Vg: Heb obscure
- Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.