Proverbs 30 - GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

30 The words of Agur, son of Jakeh. Agur’s prophetic revelation.

Agur Speaks about God

[ TO GOD ]

This man’s declaration:
“I’m weary, O God.
I’m weary and worn out, O God.
2 I’m more ⌞like⌟ a dumb animal than a human being.
I don’t ⌞even⌟ have human understanding.
3 I haven’t learned wisdom.
I don’t have knowledge of the Holy One.[a]

[ TO THE AUDIENCE ]

4 “Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the palm of his hand?
Who has wrapped water in a garment?
Who has set up the earth from one end to the other?
What is his name or the name of his son?
Certainly, you must know!

5 “All of God’s word has proven to be true.
He is a shield to those who come to him for protection.
6 Do not add to his words,
or he will reprimand you, and you will be found to be a liar.

A Prayer

[ TO GOD]

7 “I’ve asked you for two things.
Don’t keep them from me before I die:
8 Keep vanity and lies far away from me.
Don’t give me either poverty or riches.
Feed me ⌞only⌟ the food I need,
9 or I may feel satisfied and deny you
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I may become poor and steal
and give the name of my God a bad reputation.

Against Slander

[ TO THE AUDIENCE]

10 “Do not slander a slave to his master.
The slave will curse you,
and you will be found guilty.”

Four Kinds of People

11 A certain kind of person curses his father
and does not bless his mother.
12 A certain kind of person thinks he is pure
but is not washed from his own feces.[b]
13 A certain kind of person looks around arrogantly
and is conceited.
14 A certain kind of person,
whose teeth are like swords
and whose jaws are ⌞like⌟ knives,
devours oppressed people from the earth
and people from among humanity.

Human Bloodsuckers

15 The bloodsucking leech has two daughters—“Give!” and “Give!”

Four Things That Are Never Satisfied

Three things are never satisfied.
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16 the grave,
a barren womb,
a land that never gets enough water,
a fire that does not say, “Enough!”

Disrespectful Children—Their Punishment

17 The eye that makes fun of a father and hates to obey a mother
will be plucked out by ravens in the valley and eaten by young vultures.

Four Things of Intrigue

18 Three things are too amazing to me,
even four that I cannot understand:
19 an eagle making its way through the sky,
a snake making its way over a rock,
a ship making its way through high seas,
a man making his way with a virgin.

About the Woman Who Commits Adultery

20 This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:
She eats, wipes her mouth,
and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”

Four Things That Are Intolerable

21 Three things cause the earth to tremble,
even four it cannot bear up under:
22 a slave when he becomes king,
a godless fool when he is filled with food,
23 a woman who is unloved when she gets married,
a maid when she replaces her mistress.

Four Things That Are Small—Yet Smart and Strong

24 Four things on earth are small,
yet they are very wise:
25 Ants are not a strong species,
yet they store their food in summer.
26 Rock badgers are not a mighty species,
yet they make their home in the rocks.
27 Locusts have no king,
yet all of them divide into swarms by instinct.
28 A lizard you can hold in your hands,
yet it can even be found in royal palaces.

Four Things That Move with Dignity

29 There are three things that walk with dignity,
even four that march with dignity:
30 a lion, mightiest among animals, which turns away from nothing,
31 a strutting rooster,
a male goat,
a king at the head of his army.

Keep Calm and Quiet

32 If you are such a godless fool as to honor yourself,
or if you scheme,
you had better put your hand over your mouth.
33 As churning milk produces butter
and punching a nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger [c] produces a fight.

Footnotes

  1. 30:3 Or “holy ones.”
  2. 30:12 Blunt Hebrew term but not considered vulgar.
  3. 30:33 In Hebrew there is a play on words in verse 33 where the same verb is used to express all three actions.

You Might Also Like:

Proverbs 30 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

30 Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed. 2 For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man. 3 Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowle...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

30 The words of him that gathereth, of the son spewing. The prophecy which a man spake, with whom God was, and which man was comforted by God dwelling with him, and said, (The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh. The prophecy which a man spoke unto Ithiel, yea, unto Ithiel and Ucal,) 2 I am the most foo...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - World English Bible (WEB)

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the revelation:the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:2 “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.3 I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.4 Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? W...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - The Voice (VOICE)

30 These are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. An oracle of wisdom.He says, “I am weary, God. I am weary and spent, O God.”[a]2 Certainly I am a stupid man, as dumb as an ox. I don’t understand the way that most people do.3 I have never learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge at all of the Holy One.4...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

What is The Name of His Son?30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh—an oracle this man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:2 “Surely I am more stupid than any manand do not have a man’s understanding.3 I have not learned wisdom,nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.4 Who has gone up into heaven, and ...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Sayings of Agur30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa.[a]The man says to Ith′i-el, to Ith′i-el and Ucal:[b]2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Sayings of Agur30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa.[a]The man says to Ith′i-el, to Ith′i-el and Ucal:[b]2 Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Sayings of Agur30 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?[a]2 Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.[b]4 Who has ascended t...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Sayings of Agur30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.Thus says the man: I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and am wasting away.[a](A)2 Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.(B)3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.[b](C)4 Who has...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New Living Translation (NLT)

The Sayings of Agur30 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message.[a]I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.[b]2 I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. 4 Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back do...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Wisdom of Agur30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh of Massa. The man says to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 For sure, I am more foolish than any man, and I do not have the understanding of a man. 3 I have not learned wisdom, and I do not know much about the Holy One. 4 Who has gone up into heaven and com...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New King James Version (NKJV)

The Wisdom of Agur30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 (A)Surely I am more stupid than any man,And do not have the understanding of a man.3 I neither learned wisdomNor have (B)knowledge of the Holy One. 4 (C)Who has ascended into hea...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Sayings of Agur30 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh – an inspired utterance.This man’s utterance to Ithiel:‘I am weary, God, but I can prevail.[a]2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One....
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New International Version (NIV)

Sayings of Agur30 The sayings(A) of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance.This man’s utterance to Ithiel:“I am weary, God, but I can prevail.[a]2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

The Sayings of Agur30 These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. These sayings came from God.This man said to Ithiel: “I am weary, God. But I can still have success.2 Surely I am only a dumb animal and not a man. I don’t understand as other men do.3 I haven’t learned wisdom. And I don’t know...
Read More

Proverbs 30 - New Century Version (NCV)

Wise Words from Agur30 These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh.This is his message to Ithiel and Ucal: 2 “I am the most stupid person there is, and I have no understanding.3 I have not learned to be wise, and I don’t know much about God, the Holy One.4 Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? ...
Read More