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Proverbs 30
New Catholic Bible
Proverbs 30
New Catholic Bible
The Sayings of Agur[a]
The sayings of Agur, son of Jakeh, from Massa:[b]
This is my statement: I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Like Job[c]
2 I count myself among the most stupid of men,
and I am bereft of human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor do I have any knowledge of the Most Holy One.
4 Who has ever gone up to heaven and come down again?
Who has cupped the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped the waters in the fold of his garment?
Who has established all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name or the name of his son?
Do you know it?[d]
5 Every word of God has proved to be true;
he is a shield to those who trust in him.[e]
6 Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you and expose you as a fraud.
Like Solomon[f]
7 Two things[g] I ask of you;
do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lying far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but simply provide me with the food that I need.
9 For if I have too much, I may deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am destitute, I may begin to steal
and profane the name of my God.
People with Neither Faith Nor Law[h]
10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you and you will be held guilty
11 There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.[i]
12 They regard themselves as pure
and yet have not been cleansed of their filth.
13 They have eyes that are haughty[j]
and glances that reveal their disdain.
14 They have teeth that are swords
and jaws that are knives.
They devour the poor of the earth
and the needy from among men.
VIII: Numerical Proverbs[k]
Insatiable Things[l]
15 The leech has two daughters,
each of whom demands, “Give! Give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say “Enough!”:
16 The netherworld and the barren womb,
the earth that is thirsty for water,
and fire that never says “Enough!”
Woe to the Wicked Son
17 The eye that mocks a father
or shows scorn to an aged mother
will be plucked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.[m]
The Astounding Mystery of Generation
18 There are three things too wonderful for me to comprehend,
four that are beyond my understanding:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake over a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.[n]
“I Have Done Nothing Wrong”[o]
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats, then wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
The Insolence of the Newly Successful
21 There are three things that cause the earth to tremble,
indeed four things that it cannot endure:
22 a slave crowned as a king,
a fool gorged with food,
23 a hateful woman when she snares a husband,
and a servant girl when she supplants her mistress.
The Resourceful Little Ones[p]
24 There are four creatures among the tiniest on the earth
who are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 the ants, a species without strength,
yet they gather their food in the summer;
26 the rock-badgers, a species without power,
yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 the locusts, a species without a king,
yet they all march forth in formation;
28 the lizards, a species you can catch in your hands,
yet they are found in the palaces of kings.
The King, Majestic among Other Animals[q]
29 There are three creatures that are stately in their stride,
four that are stately as they walk:
30 the lion, the mightiest of wild animals,
who retreats from nothing;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat,[r]
and a king at the head of his army.
Silence Is Golden, Especially in Time of Anger
32 If you have been foolish enough to exalt yourself[s]
or if you have devised evil,
put your hand over your mouth.
33 For as churning the milk produces curds
and twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 This is a short collection of the sayings of a foreigner, one of the “sons of the East” whose wisdom was greatly esteemed (1 Ki 5:10; Jer 49:7), men such as Lemuel (see Prov 31:1-9) or Job and his friends. Agur may be an imaginary personage, but bringing him on the scene is evidence that wisdom transcends the borders of the chosen people. Wisdom is universal and must welcome the truth wherever it is found. Agur is a simple man, amazed by the mystery of nature, who humbly prays for perseverance.
- Proverbs 30:1 The second part of this verse presents translation difficulties. Both the Vulgate and the Septuagint have different interpretations. Massa: an Ishmaelite tribe north of Arabia, in the eastern part of Palestine (see Gen 25:14).
- Proverbs 30:2 In this dialogue with God, the sage loses all his assurance; he is no longer the man who knows everything. The mystery of God is divined in creation, but who could attain such knowledge! Can human beings do anything else but respectfully embrace his word, i.e., the Law and the Prophets and perhaps the teachings of the sages?
- Proverbs 30:4 See the similar use of rhetorical questions to express God’s greatness in Job 38:4-11; Isa 40:12. Do you know it?: see Job 38:4.
- Proverbs 30:5 This verse is very close to Ps 18:31.
- Proverbs 30:7 In a humble prayer, human beings can ask for a good heart and, for the rest, their share of bread: what is necessary suffices (see Mt 6:11). Indeed, if wretchedness leads to the edge of revolt, wealth easily leads to contempt for God.
- Proverbs 30:7 Two things: these sayings are fond of using lists (see vv. 15, 18, 21, 24, 29). See note on Prov 6:16-19.
- Proverbs 30:10 After verse 10, there is a diatribe against falsehood and violence, i.e., the crime of those who wish to dominate by despising others.
- Proverbs 30:11 See note on Prov 20:20.
- Proverbs 30:13 Eyes that are haughty: see note on Prov 6:17.
- Proverbs 30:15 These are termed “numerical proverbs” because they use numbers: There are three things . . . four . . .; these figures stand for a quantity that cannot be exactly counted. They propose a truth in a witty way that constitutes their charm (see also note on Prov 6:16-19). Some proverbs of another kind (vv. 17-20, 32-33) have slipped in like intruders in this short collection.
- Proverbs 30:15 Here we see presented the leech, model of the parasite. Then the proverb evokes the power of a desire that is never fulfilled. The netherworld is the abyss of death that ceaselessly swallows up human generations.
- Proverbs 30:17 See verse 11 and note on Prov 20:20.
- Proverbs 30:19 The way of a man with a maiden: an obscure saying that may mean how a man is born of a young woman (see Ps 139:13-18), or how the affection that draws a man to a young woman is awakened in him.
- Proverbs 30:20 A reader who has misunderstood the poetry in the preceding verses has added this reflection, which is closer to his moralizing preoccupations: the adulteress is cunning enough to camouflage her offense.
- Proverbs 30:24 The labor of the ant has already been cited, e.g., in Prov 6:6-8. The rock-badger, a small mammiferous savage, shows how to find shelter even if one is not among the powerful. In evoking the lizard, one is undoubtedly thinking of the courtesan of modest state who comes to sneak into the palace where she does nothing but gild herself in the king’s sunshine.
- Proverbs 30:29 Here we have a bit of popular irony before a ceremonial parade. True majesty is something else.
- Proverbs 30:31 He-goat: goats were used to lead flocks of sheep (see Jer 50:8; Dan 8:5).
- Proverbs 30:32 Exalt yourself: see condemnation of pride in Prov 8:13; 11:2; 16:18. Devised evil: see Prov 6:14; 16:27. Put your hand over your mouth: i.e., cease your plotting (see Job 21:5; 40:4).
Proverbs 30
New International Version
Proverbs 30
New International Version
Sayings of Agur
30 The sayings(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.
This man’s utterance to Ithiel:
“I am weary, God,
but I can prevail.[a]
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(B)
4 Who has gone up(C) to heaven and come down?
Whose hands(D) have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters(E) in a cloak?(F)
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name,(G) and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know!
5 “Every word of God is flawless;(H)
he is a shield(I) to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add(J) to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 “Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.(K)
9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown(L) you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’(M)
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.(N)
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;(O)
12 those who are pure in their own eyes(P)
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(Q)
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,(R)
whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth(S) are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives(T)
to devour(U) the poor(V) from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.(W)
15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,(X)
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave,(Y) the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 “The eye that mocks(Z) a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.(AA)
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.’(AB)
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(AC)
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;(AD)
26 hyraxes(AE) are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(AF) 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.[b]
32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!(AG)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
- Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Proverbes 30
La Bible du Semeur
Proverbes 30
La Bible du Semeur
Paroles d’Agour
30 Paroles, sentences d’Agour, fils de Yaqé[a]. Cet homme s’est adressé à Itiel, à Itiel et Oukal[b] :
2 Je suis, certes, le plus bête des hommes
et je ne possède pas l’intelligence d’un homme.
3 Je n’ai pas appris la sagesse, et je ne connais pas la science des saints[c].
4 Qui est jamais monté au ciel puis en est redescendu ?
Qui donc a recueilli le vent dans ses mains à poignées ?
Qui a enveloppé les eaux dans son manteau ?
Qui a établi les extrémités de la terre ?
Quel est son nom et quel est le nom de son fils ?
Dis-le, si tu le sais !
5 Chaque parole de Dieu est entièrement fiable.
Il défend comme un bouclier ceux qui se confient en lui.
6 N’ajoute rien à ses paroles,
sinon il te le reprocherait, et tu serais regardé comme un menteur.
7 Eternel, je te demande deux choses,
ne me les refuse pas avant que je meure :
8 garde-moi de la fausseté et du mensonge,
ne me donne ni pauvreté ni richesse ;
accorde-moi seulement la nourriture nécessaire,
9 car dans l’abondance, je pourrais te renier
et dire : « Qui est l’Eternel ? »
Ou bien, pressé par la misère, je pourrais me mettre à voler
et déshonorer ainsi mon Dieu.
10 Ne calomnie pas un serviteur auprès de son maître,
de peur qu’il te maudisse et que tu portes la peine de ta faute.
11 Il y a des gens qui maudissent leur père
et qui n’ont pas un mot de reconnaissance pour leur mère.
12 Il y a des gens qui se croient purs,
bien qu’ils n’aient pas été lavés de leur souillure.
13 Il y a des gens très hautains
et qui regardent les autres de haut.
14 Il y a des gens dont les dents sont des épées,
et les mâchoires des couteaux,
pour dévorer les défavorisés et les faire disparaître de la terre,
pour retrancher les pauvres du milieu des hommes.
15 La sangsue a deux filles, elles s’appellent : Donne et Donne.
Il y a trois choses insatiables,
et même quatre qui ne disent jamais : « Cela suffit » :
16 le séjour des morts, la femme stérile,
la terre, qui n’est jamais rassasiée d’eau,
et le feu qui ne dit jamais : « Cela suffit. »
17 Les yeux qui se moquent d’un père
et qui dédaignent l’obéissance envers une mère
seront crevés par les corbeaux de la vallée et dévorés par les petits de l’aigle[d].
Trois et même quatre
18 Il y a trois choses qui sont trop merveilleuses pour moi,
et même quatre que je ne comprends pas :
19 le chemin que suit l’aigle dans le ciel,
celui du serpent sur le rocher,
celui du navire en haute mer
et celui de l’homme chez la jeune fille.
20 Voici comment agit la femme adultère :
elle mange, s’essuie la bouche et dit : « Je n’ai rien fait de mal. »
21 Il y a trois choses qui font trembler la terre,
et même quatre qu’elle ne peut supporter :
22 un esclave qui devient roi,
un idiot qui vit dans l’abondance,
23 une femme odieuse qui trouve à se marier
et une servante qui parvient à la tête des biens de sa maîtresse.
24 Il y a quatre petits animaux sur la terre,
qui, pourtant, sont remplis de sagesse :
25 les fourmis, qui forment un peuple faible,
mais qui préparent leur nourriture pendant l’été,
26 les damans[e] qui n’ont guère de force,
mais qui établissent leur demeure dans les rochers,
27 les sauterelles qui, sans avoir de roi,
s’avancent toutes en bataillons rangés,
28 et le lézard qu’on attrape à la main
et qui pénètre dans les palais des rois.
29 Il y a trois êtres qui ont une belle démarche
et même quatre qui ont fière allure :
30 le lion, le plus brave des animaux,
qui ne recule devant personne,
31 le coq[f] dressé sur ses ergots, le bouc,
et le roi qui avance à la tête de ses troupes.
32 Si tu as été assez fou pour te vanter,
ou si tu projettes de le faire[g],
tais-toi,
33 car en battant la crème, on produit du beurre,
en frappant le nez, on fait jaillir du sang,
et en laissant exploser sa colère, on provoque des disputes.
Footnotes
- 30.1 Agour était peut-être un sage comme Etân et Hémân (1 R 5.11). Paroles, sentences d’Agour, fils de Yaqé pourrait aussi se traduire : Paroles d’Agour, fils de Yaqé de Massa. Dans ce cas, Agour serait d’origine ismaélite (comparer Gn 25.13-14).
- 30.1 En répartissant les consonnes du texte hébreu autrement, on obtient : cet homme dit : « Je me suis fatigué, ô Dieu, je me suis fatigué et je suis épuisé. »
- 30.3 Autres traductions : mais je connais la science des saints ou je ne connais pas la science du Dieu saint.
- 30.17 C’est-à-dire que le corps du fils ingrat sera privé de sépulture et exposé aux rapaces.
- 30.26 Les damans des rochers (comparer Lv 11.5 ; Ps 104.18), petits mammifères herbivores qui vivent en colonies dans les montagnes.
- 30.31 Autres traductions : le cheval, le lévrier, ou le zèbre. On traduit alors : avec ses reins solides, au lieu de dressé sur ses ergots.
- 30.32 Autre traduction : si tu t’es mis à réfléchir.
Proverbs 30
New King James Version
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
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.