Proverbs 30
These sayings of Agur, of Jakeh, foretell
the oracle he uttered to Ithiel:
I'm weary, O God! I am worn and unwell.
I'm surely more brutish than any can be,
and lack understanding that other men see.
I've not mastered wisdom nor common sense learned,
the ways of the Holy One can't be discerned.
Who's gone up to heaven then come back to land?
Has anyone gathered the wind in his hand?
Who's bound up the waters to hold in his cloak?
Established the ends of the earth with a stroke?
Say, what is his name or the name of his son?
You surely would tell me if you knew the one!
How flawless is each word that God has revealed;
for those who take refuge in him, he's their shield.
Add not to, nor change not, the words God has said,
or you'll be rebuked with the lies you have spread.
Two things have I asked of you not to deny;
LORD, grant these petitions before I'm to die:
keep falsehoods and lies from the words that I say;
no riches nor lack, but enough bread today.
Too rich, I might say, Who's the LORD? to my shame;
too poor, I might steal and profane God's good name.
Accuse not a slave to the master he's got,
for then you'll be cursed and have charges be brought.
A vile generation — where fathers are cursed;
they bless not their mothers by whom they were nursed.
A vile generation — so pure in their eyes,
yet they are unwashed of their filthy disguise.
A vile generation — eyes haughty and vain!
Their eyelids are lifted in utter disdain.
A vile generation — like swords are their teeth,
their fangs are as sharp as the knives they unsheathe,
devouring those who are poor on this earth,
the neediest found in mankind without worth.
The leech has two daughters, who cry out, More! More!
Three things that cannot say, Enough! Yea, there's four:
the grave; the unbearable, impotent womb;
the dry, thirsty desert; the flames that consume.
The eye that will mock what a father would say,
that scorns when a mother might stand in the way,
will one day be pecked by the birds overhead,
and eaten by vultures with things that are dead.
Three things have I found that are awesome to me,
yes, four things I can't understand what I see:
the way of an eagle that flies with such grace;
the way that a snake leaves a rock with no trace;
the way of a ship on the sea's endless waves;
the way that a man, with a maiden, behaves.
The way of the unfaithful woman is this:
she eats, wipes her face and says, Nothing's amiss.
Three things will make earth start to tremble and shake,
yet four things the earth cannot bear up and take:
a slave or a servant who wears a king's crown;
a fool filled with food that can get no more down;
an odious woman who marries at last;
a handmaid displacing her queen she's surpassed.
Four things on the earth that are tiny in size,
yet, though they are small, they're exceedingly wise:
the ant, as a creature, is not at all strong,
yet they prepare food to eat all summer long;
the coney is feeble whose energy flags,
yet they live in homes made of rock, in the crags.
the locusts do not have a king in their flanks,
yet when they advance, they go forward in ranks;
the lizard is caught by one's hand, of all things,
yet it can be found in the palace of kings.
Three things, when they walk, will majestically stride,
and four are more stately when walking with pride:
the lion, magnificent, king of all beasts,
will not turn aside from the largest or least;
the rooster that struts; the goat butts his head;
the king, who's surrounded by armies he's led.
If playing the fool, and exalting your name,
if evil is planned, hide your mouth in your shame.
As milk churns to butter, and tweaked noses bleed,
so, anger, provoked, brings contention, indeed.
the oracle he uttered to Ithiel:
I'm weary, O God! I am worn and unwell.
I'm surely more brutish than any can be,
and lack understanding that other men see.
I've not mastered wisdom nor common sense learned,
the ways of the Holy One can't be discerned.
Who's gone up to heaven then come back to land?
Has anyone gathered the wind in his hand?
Who's bound up the waters to hold in his cloak?
Established the ends of the earth with a stroke?
Say, what is his name or the name of his son?
You surely would tell me if you knew the one!
How flawless is each word that God has revealed;
for those who take refuge in him, he's their shield.
Add not to, nor change not, the words God has said,
or you'll be rebuked with the lies you have spread.
Two things have I asked of you not to deny;
LORD, grant these petitions before I'm to die:
keep falsehoods and lies from the words that I say;
no riches nor lack, but enough bread today.
Too rich, I might say, Who's the LORD? to my shame;
too poor, I might steal and profane God's good name.
Accuse not a slave to the master he's got,
for then you'll be cursed and have charges be brought.
A vile generation — where fathers are cursed;
they bless not their mothers by whom they were nursed.
A vile generation — so pure in their eyes,
yet they are unwashed of their filthy disguise.
A vile generation — eyes haughty and vain!
Their eyelids are lifted in utter disdain.
A vile generation — like swords are their teeth,
their fangs are as sharp as the knives they unsheathe,
devouring those who are poor on this earth,
the neediest found in mankind without worth.
The leech has two daughters, who cry out, More! More!
Three things that cannot say, Enough! Yea, there's four:
the grave; the unbearable, impotent womb;
the dry, thirsty desert; the flames that consume.
The eye that will mock what a father would say,
that scorns when a mother might stand in the way,
will one day be pecked by the birds overhead,
and eaten by vultures with things that are dead.
Three things have I found that are awesome to me,
yes, four things I can't understand what I see:
the way of an eagle that flies with such grace;
the way that a snake leaves a rock with no trace;
the way of a ship on the sea's endless waves;
the way that a man, with a maiden, behaves.
The way of the unfaithful woman is this:
she eats, wipes her face and says, Nothing's amiss.
Three things will make earth start to tremble and shake,
yet four things the earth cannot bear up and take:
a slave or a servant who wears a king's crown;
a fool filled with food that can get no more down;
an odious woman who marries at last;
a handmaid displacing her queen she's surpassed.
Four things on the earth that are tiny in size,
yet, though they are small, they're exceedingly wise:
the ant, as a creature, is not at all strong,
yet they prepare food to eat all summer long;
the coney is feeble whose energy flags,
yet they live in homes made of rock, in the crags.
the locusts do not have a king in their flanks,
yet when they advance, they go forward in ranks;
the lizard is caught by one's hand, of all things,
yet it can be found in the palace of kings.
Three things, when they walk, will majestically stride,
and four are more stately when walking with pride:
the lion, magnificent, king of all beasts,
will not turn aside from the largest or least;
the rooster that struts; the goat butts his head;
the king, who's surrounded by armies he's led.
If playing the fool, and exalting your name,
if evil is planned, hide your mouth in your shame.
As milk churns to butter, and tweaked noses bleed,
so, anger, provoked, brings contention, indeed.
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