Proverbs 30 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 30 ▼
swipe to see more →
SEP
Brenton Septuagint Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
+Add
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease. 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 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men. 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 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy. 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 gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children? 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 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence 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 Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made 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 ask of thee; take not favour from 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 falsehood: and give me not wealth or poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient: 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 I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear vainly by the name of 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 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed. 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 A wicked generation curse their father, and do 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 A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way. 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 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids. 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 A wicked generation have swords for teeth and jaw-teeth as knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them 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 horse-leech had three dearly-beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to 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, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is 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 that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour 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 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not: 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 track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth. 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 of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss. 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 thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear: 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 if a servant reign; or a fool be 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 or if a maid-servant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man. 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 And there are four very little things upon the earth, but these 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 which are weak, and yet prepare their food in 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 the rabbits also are a feeble race, who make their houses in 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 The locusts have no king, and yet march orderly at one command. the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
28 And the eft, which supports itself by its hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses 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 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely. 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's whelp, stronger than all other beasts, which turns not away, nor fears any beast; the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
31 and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation. 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 thou abandon thyself to mirth, and stretch forth thine hand in a quarrel, thou shalt be disgraced. 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 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if thou wing one's nostrils there shall come out blood: so if thou extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes. 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.”
Previous chapter
Top of Page
Top of Page