Shared Word Translation
Proverbs 30
The Words of Agur
The words of Agur son of Jakeh, the oracle.
The man declares to Ithiel,
to Ithiel and Ucal:
Surely I am more ignorant
than any person,
and I do not have
human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor do I possess
knowledge of the Holy One.
Every Word of God Is Refined
Who has ascended to heaven
and come down?
Who has gathered the wind
in the hollow of the hands?
Who has wrapped the waters
in a garment?
Who has established
all the ends of the earth?
What is this one’s name,
and what is the name of the son?
Surely you know.
Every word of God
is refined;
God is a shield
to those who take refuge.
Do not add
to God’s words,
lest God correct you
and you be found a liar.
Give Me Neither Poverty nor Riches
Two things I ask of you;
do not withhold them from me
before I die:
Keep falsehood and lying speech
far from me.
Give me neither poverty
nor riches;
feed me with the bread
appointed for me,
lest I become full
and deny you
and say, “Who is the LORD?”
or lest I become poor
and steal
and profane the name
of my God.
A Generation Never Satisfied
Do not slander a servant
to a master,
lest the servant curse you
and you be found guilty.
There is a generation
that curses its father
and does not bless
its mother.
There is a generation
pure in its own eyes
yet not washed
from its filth.
There is a generation—
how high are its eyes,
how lifted
its eyelids!
There is a generation
whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are knives,
to devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from humanity.
The leech has two daughters:
“Give!”
“Give!”
Three things
are never satisfied;
four never say,
“Enough”:
Sheol,
the barren womb,
land never satisfied with water,
and fire that never says,
“Enough.”
Things Too Wonderful for Me
The eye that mocks a father
and despises obedience to a mother—
the ravens of the valley
will peck it out,
and the young eagles
will eat it.
Three things
are too wonderful for me;
four I do not understand:
the way of an eagle
in the heavens,
the way of a serpent
upon a rock,
the way of a ship
in the heart of the sea,
and the way of a man
with a young woman.
Such is the way
of an adulterous woman:
she eats, wipes her mouth,
and says,
“I have done nothing wrong.”
Four Things the Earth Cannot Bear
Under three things
the earth trembles,
and under four
it cannot bear up:
a servant when he becomes king,
a fool when filled with food,
an unloved woman
when she is married,
and a servant woman
when she inherits
her mistress.
Four Small but Wise Creatures
Four things
are small on the earth,
yet they are exceedingly wise:
ants are not a strong people,
yet they prepare
their food in summer;
rock badgers
are not a mighty people,
yet they make their homes
among the rocks;
locusts have no king,
yet all of them
go out in ranks;
a lizard
can be caught in the hands,
yet it is found
in royal palaces.
Four Things with Stately Movement
Three things
are stately in their stride,
and four
are stately in their movement:
the lion,
mighty among animals,
which does not turn back
before anything;
the strutting rooster,
the male goat,
and a king
with an army around him.
Restrain Pride and Anger
If you have acted foolishly
by exalting yourself,
or if you have planned evil,
put your hand
over your mouth.
For pressing milk
produces curds,
pressing the nose
produces blood,
and pressing anger
produces conflict.