Proverbs 30
30
1The words of Agur, son of Jakeh. Agur’s prophetic revelation.
Agur Speaks about God
[ TO GOD ]
This man’s declaration:
“I’m weary, O God.
I’m weary and worn out, O God.
2I’m more ⌞like⌟ a dumb animal than a human being.
I don’t ⌞even⌟ have human understanding.
3I haven’t learned wisdom.
I don’t have knowledge of the Holy One.#30:3 Or “holy ones.”
[ TO THE AUDIENCE ]
4“Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the palm of his hand?
Who has wrapped water in a garment?
Who has set up the earth from one end to the other?
What is his name or the name of his son?
Certainly, you must know!
5“All of God’s word has proven to be true.
He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.
6Do not add to his words,
or he will reprimand you, and you will be found to be a liar.
A Prayer
[ TO GOD]
7“I’ve asked you for two things.
Don’t keep them from me before I die:
8Keep vanity and lies far away from me.
Don’t give me either poverty or riches.
Feed me ⌞only⌟ the food I need,
9or I may feel satisfied and deny you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I may become poor and steal
and give the name of my God a bad reputation.
Against Slander
[ TO THE AUDIENCE]
10“Do not slander a slave to his master.
The slave will curse you,
and you will be found guilty.”
Four Kinds of People
11A certain kind of person curses his father
and does not bless his mother.
12A certain kind of person thinks he is pure
but is not washed from his own feces.#30:12 Blunt Hebrew term but not considered vulgar.
13A certain kind of person looks around arrogantly
and is conceited.
14A certain kind of person,
whose teeth are like swords
and whose jaws are ⌞like⌟ knives,
devours oppressed people from the earth
and people from among humanity.
Human Bloodsuckers
15The bloodsucking leech has two daughters—“Give!” and “Give!”
Four Things That Are Never Satisfied
Three things are never satisfied.
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16the grave,
a barren womb,
a land that never gets enough water,
a fire that does not say, “Enough!”
Disrespectful Children—Their Punishment
17The eye that makes fun of a father and hates to obey a mother
will be plucked out by ravens in the valley and eaten by young vultures.
Four Things of Intrigue
18Three things are too amazing to me,
even four that I cannot understand:
19an eagle making its way through the sky,
a snake making its way over a rock,
a ship making its way through high seas,
a man making his way with a virgin.
About the Woman Who Commits Adultery
20This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:
She eats, wipes her mouth,
and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
Four Things That Are Intolerable
21Three things cause the earth to tremble,
even four it cannot bear up under:
22a slave when he becomes king,
a godless fool when he is filled with food,
23a woman who is unloved when she gets married,
a maid when she replaces her mistress.
Four Things That Are Small—Yet Smart and Strong
24Four things on earth are small,
yet they are very wise:
25Ants are not a strong species,
yet they store their food in summer.
26Rock badgers are not a mighty species,
yet they make their home in the rocks.
27Locusts have no king,
yet all of them divide into swarms by instinct.
28A lizard you can hold in your hands,
yet it can even be found in royal palaces.
Four Things That Move with Dignity
29There are three things that walk with dignity,
even four that march with dignity:
30a lion, mightiest among animals, which turns away from nothing,
31a strutting rooster,
a male goat,
a king at the head of his army.
Keep Calm and Quiet
32If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself,
or if you scheme,
you had better put your hand over your mouth.
33As churning milk produces butter
and punching a nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger #30:33 In Hebrew there is a play on words in verse 33 where the same verb is used to express all three actions. produces a fight.
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 30
30
The Wisdom of Agur
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:
2#Ps. 73:22; Prov. 12:1Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
3I neither learned wisdom
Nor have #(Prov. 9:10)knowledge of the Holy One.
4#(Ps. 68:18; John 3:13)Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
#Job 38:4; Ps. 104:3; Is. 40:12Who 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#Ps. 12:6; 19:8; 119:140Every word of God is pure;
#Ps. 18:30; 84:11; 115:9–11He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6#Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Rev. 22:18Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
#Job 23:12; Matt. 6:11; (Phil. 4:19)Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9#Deut. 8:12–14; Neh. 9:25, 26; Hos. 13:6Lest 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.
10Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
11There is a generation that curses its #Ex. 21:17; Prov. 20:20father,
And does not bless its mother.
12There is a generation #(Prov. 16:2); Is. 65:5; Luke 18:11; (Titus 1:15, 16)that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13There is a generation—oh, how #Ps. 131:1; Prov. 6:17; Is. 2:11; 5:15lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14#Job 29:17; Ps. 52:2There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives,
#Ps. 14:4; Amos 8:4To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy from among men.
15The leech has two daughters—
Give and Give!
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16#Prov. 27:20; Hab. 2:5The grave,
The barren womb,
The earth that is not satisfied with water—
And the fire never says, “Enough!”
17#Gen. 9:22; Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20The 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.
18There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
19The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.
20This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wickedness.”
21For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22#Prov. 19:10; Eccl. 10:7For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
24There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
25#Prov. 6:6The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26#Lev. 11:5; Ps. 104:18The rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
28The spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.
29There are three things which are majestic in pace,
Yes, four which are stately in walk:
30A lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;
31A greyhound,
A male goat also,
And a king whose troops are with him.
32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, #Job 21:5; 40:4; Mic. 7:16put your hand on your mouth.
33For as the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,
So the forcing of wrath produces strife.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.