Open English Translation PROV Chapter 30

30 These are the sayings by Yakeh’s son Agur, the burden, told to Itiel and Ukal:

2 I’m certainly among the stupid people

≈ and lack the understanding that most people have,

3 ≈ and I haven’t been well educated,

^ but I do know about the holy ones.

4 Who’s been up to heaven and come back down again?

Who’s captured the wind between their two hands?

Who’s wrapped the oceans around them like a cloak?

Who’s set up all the earth’s boundaries?

What’s his name, and what’s the name of his son?

Surely you know?

5 Every message from God is flawless.

He protects those who go to him to be safe.

6 Don’t add to his messages

in case he rebukes you and you’re found to be a liar.

7 There’s two things that I want from you—

don’t keep them from me before I die:

8 Keep deceitfulness and lying far away from me,

and don’t give me either poverty or riches—

just give me the food that I need

9 because if I had plenty, I might deny God, asking, “Who is Yahweh?”

and if I became poor, I might steal and dishonour God’s reputation.

10 Don’t make false accusations to a slave’s master,

in case he curses you and you have to bear the guilt.

11 There’s a generation that curses their fathers

≈ and doesn’t bless their mothers.

12 There’s a generation who are pure in their own eyes,

^ but they’re not actually washed from their filthiness.

13 There’s a generation with very proud eyes,

and their eyebrows are also raised.

14 There’s a generation whose teeth are swords,

≈ and its fangs are knives

to eliminate from the earth those who are suffering,

≈ and the needy from humankind.

15 The leech has two daughters: Give! Give!”

There are three, maybe four, things that are never satisfied—

≈ four that never have enough:

• 16 1. the grave,
• 2. a childless woman,
• 3. land that never has enough water, and
• 4. fire that never stops spreading.

17 The eye that mocks its father,

≈ and scorns its mother instead of obeying,

will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley,

and the young vultures will eat it.

18 There’s three things that are too wonderful for me,

maybe four that I don’t understand:

• 19 1. how an eagle’s soars in the sky,
• 2. how a snake slithers over a rock,
• 3. how a ship sails across the ocean, and
• 4. how a young man loves a young woman.

20 This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

and declares that she hasn’t done anything wrong.

21 There’s three things that makes the earth tremble—

four things it can’t handle:

• 22 1. a slave becoming king,
• 2. a fool who has plenty to eat,
• 23 3. a hated woman who gets married, and
• 4. a female slave who supplants her mistress.

24 There are four creatures on the earth

that are small but extremely wise:

• 25 1. Individual ants aren’t strong, but they store up food in the summer.
• 26 2. Rock badgers aren’t very powerful, but they make their homes in the cliffs.
• 27 3. Locusts don’t have a king, but they go out in formation like soldiers.
• 28 4. You can catch a lizard in your hands, yet they get into king’s palaces.

29 There are three things that take fancy steps—

maybe four that walk impressively.

• 30 1. the lion who’s a powerful animal that doesn’t turn back from facing anything,
• 31 2. the strutting rooster,
• 3. male goats, and
• 4. a king with his bodyguards around him.

32 If you’ve been foolish enough to brag about yourself,

then plan to put your hand over your mouth,

33 because churning milk makes butter,

squeezing the nose makes it bloody,

and stirring up anger produces strife.