Proverbs 30 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 30 ▼
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1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
2 I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. 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 mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. 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 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! 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 proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. 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 to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as 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 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them 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 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 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 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. 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 Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. 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 Some people curse their father and do not thank 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 They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. 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 They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. 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 They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. 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 suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “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 the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. 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 that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. 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 There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand: 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 how 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. 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 An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” 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 There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure: 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 a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, 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 a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants 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 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. 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 Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. 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 Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. 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 walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about: 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 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
31 the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. 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 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. 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 As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. 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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