Chapter Thirty

The proverbs of Agur son of Jakeh, an oracle spoken by him to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

I am more ignorant than any man; indeed I have not the understanding to be a man.  I have not acquired wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.  Who has ascended to Heaven and come back down?  Who has gathered the winds in his clenched hands?  Who has wrapped up the seas in his cloak?  Who has set up the ends of the earth?  What is his name and the name of his son?  Surely, you know!

Every word of Jehovah is proven to be true.  He is a shield to those who find refuge in him.  Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will deemed a liar.

There are but two things, O Jehovah, that I ask of you.  Do not refuse them to me before I die.  Keep deception and lies far from me.  Give me neither poverty nor wealth, but feed me with the food I need.  Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you and ask, “Who is Jehovah,” or have too little and steal and profane the name of my god.

Do not slander a servant to his master, or he may contradict you and you be found in error.

Some people curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.  They are pure in their own eyes, but are uncleansed of their filth.  These people look about hauntily, casting disdainful glances.  They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.

The leech has two daughters that each cry out, “Give me, give me!”  There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things that never say “Enough” — the grave, the barren womb, the parched land, and fire; they do not say “Enough.”

The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s teaching will be pecked out by ravens of the valley and devoured by vultures.

There are three things that amaze me, nay, four things I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in his youth.

This is the manner of an adulterous woman: she consumes her victim and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no evil.”

There are three things that make the earth shake, four that it cannot bear:  a servant who becomes king, a fool who has eaten too much, a hateful woman who gets married, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.   

Four things on earth are small, but are extremely wise:
ants are not strong creatures, but store up food in the summer; hyraxes are not mighty creatures, but are able to make their homes among the rocks; locust, who have no king, but swarm in military formation; the gecko, supported only by its hands, lives in the houses of kings.

Three things are of stately stride, four that stride with dignity: the lion, mightiest of beasts, who backs down to nothing; the [? unknown creature with girt loins], the billy goat, and a king against whom there is no revolt.

If you made a fool of yourself by bragging, or if you have been plotting evil, put a hand over your mouth.

As churning cream produces butter and tweaking the nose causes bleeding, so does the arousing of anger create strife.