Proverbs 30:2–9

Surely I am too stupid to be a man.

I have not the understanding of a man.

I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in his fists?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is his son’s name?

Surely you know!

Every word of God proves true;

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

Do not add to his words,

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Two things I ask of you;

deny them not to me before I die:

Remove far from me falsehood and lying;

give me neither poverty nor riches;

feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full and deny you

and say, “Who is the Lord?”

or lest I be poor and steal

and profane the name of my God.

Surely I am only a brute, not a man;

I do not have human understanding.

I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Whose hands have gathered up the wind?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is the name of his son?

Surely you know!

“Every word of God is flawless;

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

Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

“Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

Keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonor the name of my God.

I am more stupid than any other person,

and I lack a human’s ability to understand.

I have not gained wisdom,

and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in his hands?

Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name,

and what is the name of his son—

if you know?

Every word of God is pure;

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

Don’t add to his words,

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

Two things I ask of you;

don’t deny them to me before I die:

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth;

feed me with the food I need.

Otherwise, I might have too much

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

or I might have nothing and steal,

profaning the name of my God.

I am too stupid to be human,

and I lack common sense.

I have not mastered human wisdom,

nor do I know the Holy One.

Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down?

Who holds the wind in his fists?

Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak?

Who has created the whole wide world?

What is his name—and his son’s name?

Tell me if you know!

Every word of God proves true.

He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

Do not add to his words,

or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

O God, I beg two favors from you;

let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?”

And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Certainly I am more stupid than a man,

and the understanding of humankind is not for me.

And I have not learned wisdom,

nor will I know knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has ascended to heaven and come down?

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

Who has wrapped water in a 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.

Every word of God is flawless;

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

Do not add to his words

lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Two things I ask from you;

do not deny me before I die:

Keep falsehood and a lying word far from me;

do not give me poverty or wealth;

provide me with food only for my need.

Or else I will be satisfied and will deny him

and say “Who is Yahweh?”

Or I will be poor and will steal

and profane the name of my God.

Surely I am more brutish than any man,

And have not the understanding of a man.

I neither learned wisdom,

Nor have the knowledge of the holy.

Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended?

Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?

Who hath bound the waters in a garment?

Who hath established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?

Every word of God is pure:

He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Add thou not unto his words,

Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Two things have I required of thee;

Deny me them not before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies:

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with food convenient for me:

Lest I be full, and deny thee,

And say, Who is the Lord?

Or lest I be poor, and steal,

And take the name of my God in vain.