Proverbs 30

1 THE words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the^a prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,¹

2 Surely^b I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3 I^c neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge² of the holy.

4 Who^d hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? ^ewho 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^g is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?³

5 ¶ Every^h word of God is ⁴pure: ⁱhe is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6 Add^j thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 ¶ Two things have I required of thee;⁵ deny me them not⁶ before I die:

8 Remove^k far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; ^lfeed me with food ⁷convenient for me:⁸

9 Lestⁿ I be full, and deny thee,⁹ and say, Who is the LORD? ^oor lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

10 Accuse^p not¹ a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.²

11 ¶ There is a generation that ^qcurseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12 There is a generation that are ^rpure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

13 There is a generation, O how ^slofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw-teeth as knives, to ^tdevour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.³

15 ¶ The horse-leech hath two ⁴daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:⁵

16 The^u grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

17 ¶ The^v eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley⁶ shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18 ¶ There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

19 The^x way of an eagle in the air; ^ythe way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst⁷ of the sea; and ^zthe way of a man with a maid.

20 Such^a is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

22 For^b a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23 For^c an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid ^dthat is heir to her mistress.

24 ¶ There be four things which are ^elittle upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:⁸

25 The^g ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26 The^h conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27 Theⁱ locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;⁹

28 The^j spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

29 ¶ There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

30 A lion,¹ which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31 A greyhound;² and an he-goat also; and a king, ^kagainst whom there is no rising up.

32 If^l thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, ⁿlay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; ^oso the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.