30:1 These things says the man to them that
trust in God; and I cease.
30:2 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom
of men.
30:3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
30:4 Who has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in
his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of
all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his
children?
30:5 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those
that reverence him.
30:6 Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.
30:7 Two things I ask of thee; take not favour from me before I die.
30:8 Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or]
poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
30:9 lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and
steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
30:10 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse
thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.
30:11 A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
30:12 A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse
their way.
30:13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their
eyelids.
30:14 A wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw-teeth [as] knives,
so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor f them
from among men.
30:15 The horse-leech had three dearly-beloved daughters: and these three
did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
30:16 The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with
water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough.
30:17 The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a
mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles
devour it.
30:18 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and
the fourth I know not:
30:19 the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and
the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.
30:20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from
what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
30:21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:
30:22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
30:23 or if a maid-servant should cast out her own mistress; and if a
hateful woman should marry a good man.
30:24 And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are
wiser than the wise:
30:25 the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
30:26 the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the
rocks.
30:27 The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
30:28 And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily
taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
30:29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes
along finely.
30:30 A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not
away, nor fears [any] beast;
30:31 and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the
herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
30:32 If thou abandon thyself to mirth, and stretch forth thine hand in a
quarrel, thou shalt be disgraced.
30:33 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if thou wing [one's]
nostrils there shall come our blood: so if thou extort words, there will
come forth quarrels and strifes. |
30:1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh,
even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
30:2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding
of a man.
30:3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
30:4 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?
30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their
trust in him.
30:6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a
liar.
30:7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
30:8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with food convenient for me:
30:9 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.
30:10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be
found guilty.
30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless
their mother.
30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not
washed from their filthiness.
30:13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids
are lifted up.
30:14 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.
30:15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three
things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
30:16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with
water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
30:17 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.
30:18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which
I know not:
30:19 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.
30:20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her
mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
30:21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot
bear:
30:22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with
meat;
30:23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir
to her mistress.
30:24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are
exceeding wise:
30:25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the
summer;
30:26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the
rocks;
30:27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
30:28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
30:29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30:30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
30:31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no
rising up.
30:32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast
thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
30:33 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. |