30:1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh–an oracle: This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:
30:2 “I am the most ignorant of men; I do not have a man’s understanding.
30:3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
30:4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and the name of his son? Tell me if you know!
30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
30:6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
30:7 “Two things I ask of you, O LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
30:8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
30:9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
30:10 “Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.
30:11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;
30:12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
30:13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
30:14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth, the needy from among mankind.
30:15 “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
30:16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
30:17 “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns obedience to a mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
30:18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:
30:19 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 maiden.
30:20 “This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
30:21 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
30:22 a servant who becomes king, a fool who is full of food,
30:23 an unloved woman who is married, and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.
30:24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
30:25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
30:26 coneys are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;
30:27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
30:28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
30:29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:
30:30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
30:31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king with his army around him.
30:32 “If you have played the fool and exalted yourself, or if you have planned evil, clap your hand over your mouth!
30:33 For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
30:1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh. The oracle. / The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
30:2 Surely I am more stupid than any man, / And do not have a man s understanding;
30:3 And I have not learned wisdom, / Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
30:4 Who has ascended into heaven and descended? / Who has gathered the wind in His fists? / Who has wrapped up 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, if you know?
30:5 Every word of God is tried; / He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
30:6 Do not add to His words, / Lest He reprove you and you be found a liar.
30:7 Two things I have asked of You; / Do not refuse me before I die:
30:8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies. / Give me neither poverty nor riches; / Feed me with the food that is my portion,
30:9 Lest I become full and deny You and say, Who is Jehovah? / Or lest I become poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
30:10 Do not slander a servant to his master, / Lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
30:11 There is a generation that curse their father, / And do not bless their mother.
30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, / And yet are not washed from their filthiness.
30:13 There is a generation ? oh how lofty are their eyes, / And their eyelids are raised arrogantly.
30:14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, / And their jaw teeth like knives, / To devour the afflicted from off the earth, / And the needy from among men.
30:15 The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give. / There are three things that are never satisfied, / Indeed, four that do not say, Enough:
30:16 Sheol and the barren womb, / The earth that is not satisfied with water, / And the fire that does not say, Enough.
30:17 The eye that mocks his father / And despises to obey his mother, / The ravens of the valley will pick it out, / And the young eagles will eat it.
30:18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, / Indeed four which I do not know:
30:19 The way of an eagle in the sky, / 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 maiden.
30:20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: / She eats and wipes her mouth / And says, I have done no wickedness.
30:21 Under three things the earth quakes, / And under four, it cannot bear up:
30:22 Under a servant when he is king, / And a fool when he is filled with food;
30:23 Under a hated woman when she gets married, / And a servant girl who is heir to her mistress.
30:24 Four things are small on the earth, / But they are exceedingly wise:
30:25 The ants are a clan without strength, / Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
30:26 The rock badgers are a clan without might, / Yet they make their houses in the rocks;
30:27 The swarming locusts have no king, / Yet all of them go out in ranks;
30:28 The lizard can be grasped with the hands, / Yet she is in kings palaces.
30:29 There are three things which are stately in their step, / Indeed four which are stately in walking:
30:30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, / And does not turn back before any;
30:31 The strutting cock girded in the loins, or a male goat, / And a king who has a band of soldiers with him.
30:32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, / Or if you have thought an evil scheme, / Put your hand upon your mouth.
30:33 For the churning of milk produces butter, / And the wringing of the nose brings forth blood, / So the pressing of wrath brings forth strife.