Proverbs 30–31

The Oracle of Agur

30The words of Agur, son of Yakeh, the oracle.

Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:^a

²Certainly I am more stupid than a man,

and the understanding of humankind is not for me.

³And I have not learned wisdom,

nor will I know knowledge of the Holy One.^b

⁴Who has ascended to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hand?

Who has wrapped water in a^c garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name and what is the name of his child?

For surely you know.

⁵Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield for him who takes refuge in him.

⁶Do not add to his words

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁷Two things I ask from you;

do not deny me before I die:

⁸Keep falsehood and a lying word^d far from me;

do not give me poverty or wealth;

provide me with food only for my need.

⁹Or else I will be satisfied and will deny him

and say “Who is Yahweh?”

Or^e I will be poor and will steal

and profane the name of my God.

¹⁰Do not slander a servant to his master,

or else he will curse you and you will be guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that will curse its father,

and its mother it will not bless.

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

but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.

¹³There is a generation—how lofty are their eyes!

And their eyelids they will lift.

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are swords,

and its jawbones, knives,

in order to devour the poor from the earth^f

and the needy from humankind.

¹⁵For the leech, there are two daughters;

“Give, give!” they cry.

As for three of these, they are not satisfied;

as for four, they do not say enough.

¹⁶Sheol^g and barrenness of womb,

the land is not satisfied with water,

and fire does not say “enough!”

¹⁷The eye that mocks a father

and scorns the obedience of a mother—

the ravens of the valley will peck it out,

and the offspring of vultures will eat it.

¹⁸Three of these are too wonderful for me,

and four, I do not understand them:

¹⁹the way of the eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship in the heart of the sea,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰This is the way of a woman committing adultery:

she eats and wipes her mouth,

and says “I have not done wrong.”

²¹Under three things the earth^h trembles,

and under four, it is not able to bear up:

²²under a slave when he becomes king,

and a fool when he is satisfied with food;

²³under an unloved woman when she gets married,

and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.

²⁴There are four small things on the earth,

and they are exceedingly wise:ⁱ

²⁵The ants are a people who are not strong,

yet they prepare their food in the summer;

²⁶the badgers are a people who are not mighty,

yet they set their house on the rock;

²⁷there is no king for the locust,

yet it marches in rank;

²⁸a lizard you can seize with hands,

yet it is in palaces of kings.

²⁹There are three things that are magnificent of stride,

and four that are magnificent when moving:

³⁰a mighty lion among the beasts,^j

but he will not turn back from any face;^k

³¹a strutting rooster or he-goat,

and a king whose army is with him.

³²If you have been foolish by exalting yourself,

and if you have devised evil, put your hand to your mouth.

³³For pressing milk produces curd,

and pressing the nose produces blood,

so pressing anger^l produces strife.

The Oracle of King Lemuel

31The words of Lemuel, the king—an oracle

that his mother taught him:

²What, my son? And what, my son in my womb?

And what, son of my vows?

³Do not give your strength to the women,

and your ways to destroy kings.

⁴It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;

drinking wine is not for the kings,

nor is strong drink for rulers.

⁵Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,

and he will pervert the rights^a of all the afflicted.^b

⁶Give strong drink to him who is perishing,

and wine to those in bitter distress.^c

⁷He will drink and forget his poverty,

and his misery he will not remember any more.

⁸Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights^d of all the needy.^e

⁹Open your mouth, judge righteousness,

and defend the poor and needy.

An Excellent Woman^f

¹⁰A woman^g of excellence,^h who will find?

For her worth is far more than precious jewels.

¹¹The heart of her husbandⁱ trusts in her,

and gain he will not lack.

¹²She does him good, but not harm

all the days of her life.

¹³She seeks wool and flax,

and she works with the diligence of her hands.^j

¹⁴She is like the ships of a merchant;

from far off she brings her food;^k

¹⁵And she arises while it is still night,

and gives food to her household,

and tasks to her servant girls.

¹⁶She considers a field and buys it,

from the fruit of her hand^l she plants a vineyard.

¹⁷She girds her waist in strength,

and makes her arms strong.

¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is good;

her lamp does not go out in the night.

¹⁹Her hands she puts onto the distaff,^m

and her palms hold a spindle.

²⁰Her palm she opens to the poor,

and her hand she reaches out to the needy.

²¹She does not fear for her house when it snows,

for her entire householdⁿ is clothed in crimson.

²²She makes for herself coverings;

her clothing is fine linen and purple.

²³Her husband^o is known at the gates,

in his seat among the elders of the land.

²⁴Linen garments she makes and sells,

and she supplies sashes for the merchants.

²⁵Strength and dignity are her clothing,

and she laughs at the future.^p

²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,

and instruction of kindness is upon her tongue.

²⁷She looks after the ways of her household,

and the bread of idleness she will not eat.

²⁸Her children rise and consider her happy,

her husband^q also, and he praises her;

²⁹“Many daughters have done excellence,^r

but you surpass^s all of them.”

³⁰Charm^t is deceit and beauty^u is vain;^v

but a woman who fears Yahweh shall be praised.

³¹Give to her from the fruit of her hand,

and may they praise her works in the city gates.