The Proverbs

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- Chapter 30 -

Utterances of Agur. Personal testimony

The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:(a)

(b)

“I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.

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?

Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.(c)

Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.

Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.

Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,

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.

Numerical parables

Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.

There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.

There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.

There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.

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.

The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:(d)

Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’

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.

Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:

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.

Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”

By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:

by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,

by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.

Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:

the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,

the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.

The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.

The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.(e)

There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:

a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,

a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.

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.

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.”(f)

Footnotes

(a)30:1 Or, ‘The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter.’(Conte)

(b)30:1 Gatherer, etc:Or, as it is in the Latin, Congregans the son of Vomens. The Latin interpreter has given us in this place the signification of the Hebrew names, instead of the names themselves, which are in the Hebrew, Agur the son of Jakeh. But whether this Agur be the same person as Solomon, as many think, or a different person, whose doctrine was adopted by Solomon, and inserted among his parables or proverbs, is uncertain.(Challoner)

(d)30:15 The horseleech:Concupiscence, which has two daughters that are never satisfied, viz., lust and avarice.(Challoner)

(e)30:28 The stellio:A kind of house lizard marked with spots like stars, from whence it has its name.(Challoner)

(f)30:33 Now pressing out milk strongly does not literally produce butter; but this is a type of figure of speech where the literal meaning is not true and is not what is being asserted as true. It is the figurative meaning that is being asserted as true.(Conte)

Utterances of Agur. Personal testimony

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.

Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

Numerical parables

“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.

There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

“The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:

Sheol,(a) the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’

“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

The way of an eagle in the air, 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 with a maiden.

“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

“For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:

For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,

for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.

“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:

The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.

For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”

Footnotes

(a)30:16 Sheol is the place of the dead.