New American Standard Bible 1995

Proverbs 30

The Words of Agur

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the 1oracle.

The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:2Surely I am more 2stupid than any man, And I do not have the understanding of a man.3Neither have I learned wisdom, Nor do I have the 3knowledge of the Holy One.4Who has 4ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the 5wind in His fists? Who has 6wrapped the waters in 7His garment? Who has 8established all the ends of the earth? What is His 9name or His son’s name? Surely you know!

5Every 10word of God is tested; He is a 11shield to those who take refuge in Him.6 12Do not add to His words Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

7Two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die:8Keep deception and 13lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the 14food that is my portion,9That I not be 15full and deny 16You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be 17in want and steal, And 18profane the name of my God.

10Do not slander a slave to his master, Or he will 19curse you and you will be found guilty.

11There is a 20kind of man who 21curses his father And does not bless his mother.12There is a 22kind who is 23pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness.13There is a 24kind--oh how 25lofty are his eyes! And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.14There is a 26kind of man whose 27teeth are like swords And his 28jaw teeth like knives, To 29devour the afflicted from the earth And the needy from among men.

15The leech has two daughters, “Give,” “Give.” There are three things that will not be satisfied, Four that will not say, “Enough”:16 30 31Sheol, and the 32barren womb, Earth that is never satisfied with water, And fire that never says, “Enough.”17The eye that 33mocks a father And 34 35scorns a mother, The 36ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young 37eagles will eat it.

18There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand:19The way of an 38eagle in the sky, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid.20This is the way of an 39adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wrong.”

21Under three things the earth quakes, And under four, it cannot bear up:22Under a 40slave when he becomes king, And a fool when he is satisfied with food,23Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband, And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

24Four things are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise:25The 41ants are not a strong people, But they prepare their food in the summer;26The 42 43shephanim are not mighty people, Yet they make their houses in the rocks;27The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in 44ranks;28The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29There are three things which are stately in their march, Even four which are stately when they walk:30The lion which is 45mighty among beasts And does not 46 47retreat before any,31The 48strutting rooster, the male goat also, And a king when his army is with him.

32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself Or if you have plotted evil, 49put your hand on your mouth.33For the 50churning of milk produces butter, And pressing the nose brings forth blood; So the 51churning of 52anger produces strife.

Notes

1. Proverbs 30:1 Or burden ↩
2. Proverbs 30:2 Ps 49:10; 73:22; Prov 12:1 ↩
3. Proverbs 30:3 Prov 9:10 ↩
4. Proverbs 30:4 Ps 68:18; John 3:13; Eph 4:8 ↩
5. Proverbs 30:4 Ex 15:10; Ps 135:7 ↩
6. Proverbs 30:4 Job 26:8; 38:8, 9 ↩
7. Proverbs 30:4 Lit the ↩
8. Proverbs 30:4 Ps 24:2; Is 45:18 ↩
9. Proverbs 30:4 Rev 19:12 ↩
10. Proverbs 30:5 Ps 12:6; 18:30 ↩
11. Proverbs 30:5 Ps 3:3; 84:11; Prov 2:7 ↩
12. Proverbs 30:6 Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:18 ↩
13. Proverbs 30:8 Lit words of falsehood ↩
14. Proverbs 30:8 Job 23:12; Matt 6:11 ↩
15. Proverbs 30:9 Deut 8:12; 31:20; Neh 9:25; Hos 13:6 ↩
16. Proverbs 30:9 Josh 24:27; Job 31:28 ↩
17. Proverbs 30:9 Prov 6:30 ↩
18. Proverbs 30:9 Ex 20:7 ↩
19. Proverbs 30:10 Eccl 7:21 ↩
20. Proverbs 30:11 Or generation ↩
21. Proverbs 30:11 Ex 21:17; Prov 20:20 ↩
22. Proverbs 30:12 Or generation ↩
23. Proverbs 30:12 Prov 16:2; Is 65:5; Luke 18:11; Titus 1:15, 16 ↩
24. Proverbs 30:13 Or generation ↩
25. Proverbs 30:13 Prov 6:17; Is 2:11; 5:15 ↩
26. Proverbs 30:14 Or generation ↩
27. Proverbs 30:14 Ps 57:4 ↩
28. Proverbs 30:14 Job 29:17 ↩
29. Proverbs 30:14 Ps 14:4; Amos 8:4 ↩
30. Proverbs 30:16 I.e. The nether world ↩
31. Proverbs 30:16 Prov 27:20 ↩
32. Proverbs 30:16 Gen 30:1 ↩
33. Proverbs 30:17 Gen 9:22 ↩
34. Proverbs 30:17 Lit despises to obey ↩
35. Proverbs 30:17 Prov 15:20 ↩
36. Proverbs 30:17 Deut 28:26 ↩
37. Proverbs 30:17 Deut 28:26 ↩
38. Proverbs 30:19 Deut 28:49; Jer 48:40; 49:22 ↩
39. Proverbs 30:20 Prov 5:6 ↩
40. Proverbs 30:22 Prov 19:10; Eccl 10:7 ↩
41. Proverbs 30:25 Prov 6:6 ↩
42. Proverbs 30:26 Small, shy, furry animals (Hyrax syriacus) found in the peninsula of the Sinai, northern Israel, and the region round the Dead Sea; KJV coney, orig NASB badgers ↩
43. Proverbs 30:26 Lev 11:5; Ps 104:18 ↩
44. Proverbs 30:27 Joel 2:7 ↩
45. Proverbs 30:30 Judg 14:18; 2 Sam 1:23 ↩
46. Proverbs 30:30 Lit turn back ↩
47. Proverbs 30:30 Mic 5:8 ↩
48. Proverbs 30:31 Lit girt in the loins ↩
49. Proverbs 30:32 Job 21:5; 40:4; Mic 7:16 ↩
50. Proverbs 30:33 Lit pressing ↩
51. Proverbs 30:33 Lit pressing ↩
52. Proverbs 30:33 Prov 10:12; 29:22 ↩

The Words of Agur

Notes

Commentaries on Proverbs 30