NRSV Proverbs 30 Chapter
30:1
The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle. Thus says the man: I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?
30:2
Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.
30:3
I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.
30:4
Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is the person's name? And what is the name of the person's child? Surely you know!
30:5
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
30:6
Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.
30:7
Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:
30:8
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,
30:9
or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, "Who is the LORD?" or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.
30:10
Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
30:11
There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
30:12
There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
30:13
There are those-- how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!
30:14
There are those whose teeth are swords, whose teeth are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mortals.
30:15
The leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":
30:16
Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."
30:17
The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
30:18
Three things are too wonderful for me; four 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 girl.
30:20
This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wrong."
30:21
Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
30:22
a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food;
30:23
an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
30:24
Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
30:25
the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer;
30:26
the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
30:27
the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
30:28
the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
30:29
Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait:
30:30
the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any;
30:31
the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people.
30:32
If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
30:33
For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.