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 man
and 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 come down?[a]
Who has gathered the wind in the palm of His hand?
Who has wrapped the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name and what is the name of His son—if you know?”[b]
5 Every word of God is purified.
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 Do not add to His words,
or else He will rebuke You and prove you a liar.
7 Two things I ask of You—
do not refuse me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor riches,
but feed me with my allotted bread,[c]
9 lest I become satisfied and deny You
and say, “Who is Adonai?”
Or lest I become poor, and steal
and profane the Name of my God.
A Filthy, Haughty Generation
10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
or he will curse you, and you pay for it.
11 There is a generation that curses its father
and does not bless its mother.
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
and yet is not cleansed from its filth.
13 There is a generation whose eyes are so haughty,
whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords
and whose molars are knives,
to devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among humanity.
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give! Give!”
Three things are never satisfied, four never say, “Enough!”—
16 Sheol, a barren womb,
land that is not satisfied with water,
and fire that never says, “Enough!”
17 The eye that mocks a father and scorns obeying a mother—
will be pecked out by ravens of the valley
and eaten by young vultures!
18 Three things are too amazing for me,
four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
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 maiden.
20 Such is the way of an adulteress:
she eats, wipes her mouth and says,
“I have done nothing wrong.”
21 Under three things the earth trembles,
and under four it cannot bear up:
22 under a slave when he becomes a king,
a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she is married,
and a handmaid when she displaces her mistress.
Lessons from Creatures
24 Four things on earth are small,
yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 ants are creatures with little strength,
yet they store up their food in summer;
26 coneys are creatures with little power,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard you can catch with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who never backs down from anything;
31 a strutting rooster, a male-goat,
and a king with his army around him.
32 If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself,
or if you have planned evil,
put your hand over your mouth.
33 For as churning milk produces butter,
and twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:4 cf. John 3:13; Eph. 4:8.
- Proverbs 30:4 cf. Rev. 19:12.
- Proverbs 30:8 cf. Matt. 6:11.