Proverbs 30–31

THE WORDS OF AGUR

30The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement.^u

The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:^B

²I am more stupid than any other person,^C

and I lack a human’s ability to understand.^v

³I have not gained wisdom,

and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.^w

⁴Who has gone up to heaven and come down?^x

Who has gathered the wind in his hands?

Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?^y

Who has established all the ends of the earth?^z

What is his name,

and what is the name of his son—

if you know?^aa

⁵Every word of God is pure;^Dab

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.^ac

⁶Don’t add to his words,^ad

or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.^ae

⁷Two things I ask of you;

don’t deny them to me before I die:

⁸Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth;

feed me with the food I need.^af

⁹Otherwise, I might have too much^ag

and deny you,^ah saying, “Who is the Lord?”^ai

or I might have nothing and steal,^aj

profaning^E the name of my God.^ak

¹⁰Don’t slander a servant to his master

or he will curse you,^a and you will become guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that curses its father

and does not bless its mother.^b

¹²There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,^c

yet is not washed from its filth.

¹³There is a generation—how haughty its eyes

and pretentious its looks.^F

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are swords,^d

whose fangs are knives,^e

devouring the oppressed from the land^f

and the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!”

Three things^g are never satisfied;

four never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶Sheol;^h a childless womb;ⁱ

earth, which is never satisfied with water;

and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

¹⁷As for the eye that ridicules a father^j

and despises obedience to a mother,

may ravens of the valley pluck it out

and young vultures eat it.^k

¹⁸Three things are too wondrous for me;^*

four I can’t understand:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship at sea,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”^l

²¹The earth trembles under three things;

it cannot bear up under four:

²²a servant when he becomes king,^m

a fool when he is stuffed with food,

²³an unloved woman when she marries,ⁿ

and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

²⁴Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ants are not a strong people,

yet they store up their food in the summer;^o

²⁶hyraxes are not a mighty people,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs;^p

²⁷locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in ranks;^q

²⁸a lizard^A can be caught in your hands,

yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

²⁹Three things are stately in their stride;

four are stately in their walk:

³⁰a lion, which is mightiest among beasts

and doesn’t retreat before anything;

³¹a strutting rooster;^B a goat;

and a king at the head of his army.^C

³²If you have been foolish by exalting yourself

or if you’ve been scheming,

put your hand over your mouth.^r

³³For the churning of milk produces butter,

and twisting a nose draws blood,

and stirring up anger produces strife.^s

THE WORDS OF LEMUEL

31The words of King Lemuel,

a pronouncement^Dt that his mother taught him:

²What should I say, my son?

What, son of my womb?^u

What, son of my vows?

³Don’t spend your energy^v on women

or your efforts on those who destroy kings.^w

⁴It is not for kings, Lemuel,

it is not for kings^x to drink wine^y

or for rulers to desire beer.

⁵Otherwise, he will drink,

forget what is decreed,^z

and pervert justice for all the oppressed.^Aa

⁶Give beer to one who is dying

and wine to one whose life is bitter.^b

⁷Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty

and remember his trouble no more.^c

⁸Speak up for those who have no voice,^Cd

for the justice of all who are dispossessed.^D

⁹Speak up, judge righteously,^e

and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.^f

IN PRAISE OF A WIFE OF NOBLE CHARACTER

¹⁰Who can find a wife of noble character?^Eg

She is far more precious than jewels.

¹¹The heart of her husband trusts in her,

and he will not lack anything good.

¹²She rewards him with good, not evil,

all the days of her life.

¹³She selects wool and flax

and works with willing hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from far away.^h

¹⁵She rises while it is still nightⁱ

and provides food for her household

and portions^G for her female servants.^j

¹⁶She evaluates a field and buys it;

she plants a vineyard with her earnings.^Hk

¹⁷She draws on her strength^I

and reveals that her arms are strong.^l

¹⁸She sees that her profits are good,

and her lamp never goes out at night.^m

¹⁹She extends her hands to the spinning staff,

and her hands hold the spindle.ⁿ

²⁰Her hands reach^J out to the poor,

and she extends her hands to the needy.^o

²¹She is not afraid for her household when it snows,

for all in her household are doubly clothed.^K

²²She makes her own bed coverings;^p

her clothing is fine linen^q and purple.^r

²³Her husband is known at the city gates,

where he sits among the elders of the land.^s

²⁴She makes and sells linen garments;

she delivers belts^A to the merchants.

²⁵Strength^t and honor are her clothing,^u

and she can laugh at the time to come.^v

²⁶Her mouth speaks wisdom,

and loving instruction^B is on her tongue.

²⁷She watches over the activities of her household^w

and is never idle.^C

²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;

her husband also praises her:

²⁹“Many women^D have done noble deeds,

but you surpass them all!”^x

³⁰Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting,^y

but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.

³¹Give her the reward of her labor,^E

and let her works praise her at the city gates.