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]
Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
    I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.(B)
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!

“Every word of God is flawless;(H)
    he is a shield(I) to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add(J) to his words,
    or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord;
    do not refuse me before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
    give me neither poverty nor riches,
    but give me only my daily bread.(K)
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

  1. Proverbs 30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
  2. Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

Dichos de Agur

30 Dichos de Agur, hijo de Jaqué. Oráculos. Palabras de este varón:

Oh Dios, estoy cansado y agotado. Soy el más ignorante de los hombres; me falta discernimiento humano.

No he conocido la sabiduría, ni tampoco conozco al Dios santo. ¿Quién ha subido y bajado del cielo? ¿Quién retiene el viento en su puño o envuelve el mar en su manto? ¿Quién ha establecido los límites de la tierra? ¿Quién sabe su nombre y el de su hijo? Dímelo si lo sabes.

Toda palabra de Dios es verdadera. Él protege a los que acuden a él en busca de protección. No añadas nada a sus palabras para que no te reprenda y te haga quedar como un mentiroso.

Oh Señor, dos cosas te pido antes de morir, no me las niegues: Aparta de mí la mentira y la falsedad, no me des ni pobreza ni riquezas, dame sólo el pan de cada día. Porque si tengo mucho, quizá te desconozca y diga: ¿Quién es el Señor? Y si tengo poco, quizá robe y deshonre así tu santo nombre.

10 Jamás ofendas al esclavo delante de su amo, o él te maldecirá y sufrirás las consecuencias.

11 Hay quienes maldicen a su padre y no bendicen a su madre. 12 Hay quienes se creen puros, y no se han limpiado de su impureza. 13 Hay quienes se creen más que los demás y a todos miran con desprecio. 14 Hay quienes tienen dientes como espadas y mandíbulas como cuchillos para devorar a los pobres de la tierra, y a los necesitados de este mundo.

15 La sanguijuela tiene dos hijas que siempre están pidiendo a gritos: «Dame más, más». Hay tres cosas, y hasta cuatro, que nunca quedan satisfechas: 16 el sepulcro, el vientre estéril, el desierto árido y el fuego que todo lo consume.

17 Al que mira con desprecio a su padre y menosprecia a su madre anciana, que los cuervos le saquen los ojos y los buitres se lo devoren.

18 Hay tres cosas, y hasta cuatro, que me asombran y no entiendo: 19 el camino del águila en el cielo, el camino de la serpiente en la roca, el camino del barco en alta mar, y el camino del hombre en la mujer.

20 Así hace la mujer adúltera: Come, se limpia la boca y después dice: ¿Qué tiene de malo lo que hice?

21 Tres cosas hacen temblar la tierra, y una cuarta la hace estremecer: 22 el esclavo que llega a ser rey, el necio que le sobra la comida, 23 la mujer amargada que al fin se casa, y la criada que le quita el lugar a su señora.

24 Hay cuatro cosas pequeñas en la tierra, pero que son más sabias que los mismos sabios: 25 las hormigas, no son fuertes pero almacenan comida para el invierno; 26 los tejones, no son poderosos pero construyen sus casas entre las rocas; 27 las langostas, que aunque no tienen rey, marchan en formación perfecta; 28 las lagartijas que se atrapan con la mano pero que se encuentran hasta en los palacios de los reyes.

29 Hay tres cosas, y hasta cuatro, que su andar es majestuoso: 30 el león, poderoso entre los animales, que no retrocede ante nada, 31 el gallo orgulloso, el macho cabrío, el rey cuando conduce a su ejército.

32 Si te has engrandecido tú mismo como un necio, o si tramas maldades, ponte a pensar 33 que al batir la leche se obtiene mantequilla, que al sonarse fuerte la nariz sangra, y que provocar la ira causa pleitos.

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

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.

32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.