Proverbs 30:10–33

¹⁰Never slander a worker to the employer,

or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹Some people curse their father

and do not thank their mother.

¹²They are pure in their own eyes,

but they are filthy and unwashed.

¹³They look proudly around,

casting disdainful glances.

¹⁴They have teeth like swords

and fangs like knives.

They devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among humanity.

¹⁵The leech has two suckers

that cry out, “More, more!”

There are three things that are never satisfied—

no, four that never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶the grave,

the barren womb,

the thirsty desert,

the blazing fire.

¹⁷The eye that mocks a father

and despises a mother’s instructions

will be plucked out by ravens of the valley

and eaten by vultures.

¹⁸There are three things that amaze me—

no, four things that I don’t understand:

¹⁹how an eagle glides through the sky,

how a snake slithers on a rock,

how a ship navigates the ocean,

how a man loves a woman.

²⁰An adulterous woman consumes a man,

then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”

²¹There are three things that make the earth tremble—

no, four it cannot endure:

²²a slave who becomes a king,

an overbearing fool who prospers,

²³a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,

a servant girl who supplants her mistress.

²⁴There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:

²⁵Ants—they aren’t strong,

but they store up food all summer.

²⁶Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,

but they make their homes among the rocks.

²⁷Locusts—they have no king,

but they march in formation.

²⁸Lizards—they are easy to catch,

but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

²⁹There are three things that walk with stately stride—

no, four that strut about:

³⁰the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,

³¹the strutting rooster,

the male goat,

a king as he leads his army.

³²If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,

cover your mouth in shame.

³³As the beating of cream yields butter

and striking the nose causes bleeding,

so stirring up anger causes quarrels.