Proverbs 30:2-33 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 30:2-33 ▼
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2 “I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know? 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! 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!
5 Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him. Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die. Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
8 Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life, Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
9 lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God. 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. 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.
10 Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall. Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. “Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother. There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;
12 There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness. There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high. There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
14 There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men. There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.
15 The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’: The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’ Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it. The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.
18 Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant: Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in adolescence. the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.” This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
21 By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain: Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
22 by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food, a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress. an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.
24 Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise: Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
25 the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest, the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock. the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;
27 The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops. the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
28 The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings. the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on: Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets, the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
31 a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist. the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.
32 There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth. If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. “If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth!
33 But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.” For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
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