30:1 These are the solemn words of Agur son of Jakeh: "God is not with me, God is not with me, and I am helpless. |
30:2 I am more like an animal than a human being; I do not have the sense we humans should have. |
30:3 I have never learned any wisdom, and I know nothing at all about God. |
30:4 Have any ever mastered heavenly knowledge? Have any ever caught the wind in their hands? Or wrapped up water in a piece of cloth? Or fixed the boundaries of the earth? Who are they, if you know? Who are their children? |
30:5 "God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection. |
30:6 If you claim that he said something that he never said, he will reprimand you and show that you are a liar." |
30:7 I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die: |
30:8 keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need. |
30:9 If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God. |
30:10 Never criticize servants to their master. You will be cursed and suffer for it. |
30:11 There are people who curse their fathers and do not show their appreciation for their mothers. |
30:12 There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be. |
30:13 There are people who think they are so good---oh, how good they think they are! |
30:14 There are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living. |
30:15 A leech has two daughters, and both are named "Give me!" There are four things that are never satisfied: |
30:16 the world of the dead, a woman without children, dry ground that needs rain, and a fire burning out of control. |
30:17 If you make fun of your father or despise your mother in her old age, you ought to be eaten by vultures or have your eyes picked out by wild ravens. |
30:18 There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand: |
30:19 an eagle flying in the sky, a snake moving on a rock, a ship finding its way over the sea, and a man and a woman falling in love. |
30:20 This is how an unfaithful wife acts: she commits adultery, takes a bath, and says, "But I haven't done anything wrong!" |
30:21 There are four things that the earth itself cannot tolerate: |
30:22 a slave who becomes a king, a fool who has all he wants to eat, |
30:23 a hateful woman who gets married, and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress. |
30:24 There are four animals in the world that are small, but very, very clever: |
30:25 Ants: they are weak, but they store up their food in the summer. |
30:26 Rock badgers: they are not strong either, but they make their homes among the rocks. |
30:27 Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation. |
30:28 Lizards: you can hold one in your hand, but you can find them in palaces. |
30:29 There are four things that are impressive to watch as they walk: |
30:30 lions, strongest of all animals and afraid of none; |
30:31 goats, strutting roosters, and kings in front of their people. |
30:32 If you have been foolish enough to be arrogant and plan evil, stop and think! |
30:33 If you churn milk, you get butter. If you hit someone's nose, it bleeds. If you stir up anger, you get into trouble. |