The Sayings of Agur
The sayings of Agur, son of Jakeh, from Massa:
This is my statement: I am weary, O God;
I am weary, O God, and worn out.
Like Job
2 I count myself among the most stupid of men,
and I am bereft of human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor do I have any knowledge of the Most Holy One.
4 Who has ever gone up to heaven and come down again?
Who has cupped the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped the waters in the fold of his garment?
Who has established all the boundaries of the earth?
What is his name or the name of his son?
Do you know it?
5 Every word of God has proved to be true;
he is a shield to those who trust in him.
6 Add nothing to his words,
lest he reprove you and expose you as a fraud.
Like Solomon
7 Two things I ask of you;
do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lying far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but simply provide me with the food that I need.
9 For if I have too much, I may deny you
and say, “Who is the Lord?”
And if I am destitute, I may begin to steal
and profane the name of my God.
People with Neither Faith Nor Law
10 Do not slander a servant to his master,
lest he curse you and you will be held guilty
11 There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers.
12 They regard themselves as pure
and yet have not been cleansed of their filth.
13 They have eyes that are haughty
and glances that reveal their disdain.
14 They have teeth that are swords
and jaws that are knives.
They devour the poor of the earth
and the needy from among men.
VIII: Numerical Proverbs
Insatiable Things
15 The leech has two daughters,
each of whom demands, “Give! Give!”
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say “Enough!”:
16 The netherworld and the barren womb,
the earth that is thirsty for water,
and fire that never says “Enough!”
Woe to the Wicked Son
17 The eye that mocks a father
or shows scorn to an aged mother
will be plucked out by the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
The Astounding Mystery of Generation
18 There are three things too wonderful for me to comprehend,
four that are beyond my understanding:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake over a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
“I Have Done Nothing Wrong”
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats, then wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
The Insolence of the Newly Successful
21 There are three things that cause the earth to tremble,
indeed four things that it cannot endure:
22 a slave crowned as a king,
a fool gorged with food,
23 a hateful woman when she snares a husband,
and a servant girl when she supplants her mistress.
The Resourceful Little Ones
24 There are four creatures among the tiniest on the earth
who are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 the ants, a species without strength,
yet they gather their food in the summer;
26 the rock-badgers, a species without power,
yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 the locusts, a species without a king,
yet they all march forth in formation;
28 the lizards, a species you can catch in your hands,
yet they are found in the palaces of kings.
The King, Majestic among Other Animals
29 There are three creatures that are stately in their stride,
four that are stately as they walk:
30 the lion, the mightiest of wild animals,
who retreats from nothing;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
and a king at the head of his army.
Silence Is Golden, Especially in Time of Anger
32 If you have been foolish enough to exalt yourself
or if you have devised evil,
put your hand over your mouth.
33 For as churning the milk produces curds
and twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:1
- Proverbs 30:1
- Proverbs 30:2
- Proverbs 30:4
- Proverbs 30:5
- Proverbs 30:7
- Proverbs 30:7
- Proverbs 30:10
- Proverbs 30:11
- Proverbs 30:13
- Proverbs 30:15
- Proverbs 30:15
- Proverbs 30:17
- Proverbs 30:19
- Proverbs 30:20
- Proverbs 30:24
- Proverbs 30:29
- Proverbs 30:31
- Proverbs 30:32
