Proverbs

Proverbs 30

1Agur's confession of his own simplicity. 5The purity of God's word, and danger of adding thereto. 7The two points of Agur's prayer. 10A servant not to be wrongfully accused. 11Four wicked generations. 15Four things insatiable. 17Parents not to be despised. 18Four things hard to be known. 24Four things little, but wise. 29Four things stately. 32Silence in case of error the way to prevent wrath.

1THE ^awords of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the ^bprophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

a ch. 10.1. b ch. 31.1. Nu. 24.3. 2Pe. 1.19-21.

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

c Ps. 73.22. Job 11.12. 1Co. 15.9. Ep. 3.8.

3I ^dneither learned wisdom, nor ¹have the knowledge of the holy.

d Am. 7.14,15. Mat. 16.17. Ro. 11.33. Phi. 3.8-13. Ep. 3.18.

4^eWho hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? ^fwho hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? ^gwhat is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

e Jn. 3.13. Ro. 10.6. f Job 38.4-7. Ps. 104.3-6; 135.7; 24.2; 50.2,3. Is. 40.12-15. g De. 28.58. Is. 9.6; 53.8. Job 11.7.

5^hEvery word of God is ²pure: ⁱhe is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

h Ps. 12.6; 18.30; 19.8; 119.140. i Ps. 84.9,11; 115.9-11; 91.2; 3.3; 5.12; 18.35.

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

j De. 4.2; 12.32. Re. 22.18,19.

7Two things have I ^*required of thee; ³deny me them not before I die:

8^kRemove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; ^lfeed me with food ^4*convenient for me:

k Ps. 119.29,37. Is. 33.15. l Mat. 6.11. 1Ti. 6.8.

9^mLest I be full, and ⁵deny thee , and say, Who is the LORD? ⁿor lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

m Ne. 9.25,26. De. 32.15; 31.20; 8.12,14. Ho. 13.6. Je. 5.5. n Ps. 125.3.

10⁶Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

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

o v.17. Le. 20.9. De. 27.16. ch. 20.20.

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

p Lu. 18.11. Is. 65.5. Je. 2.35. Tit. 1.16. 2Ti. 3.5. ch. 16.2; 26.12. Re. 3.17.

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

q ch. 6.17; 26.12; 8.13. Hab. 2.4. Is. 2.11,17; 65.5; 28.1,3. Lu. 18.11,12. Ps. 131.1.

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

r Job 29.17. ch. 12.18. Ps. 52.2; 57.4; 14.4. Am. 8.4. Hab. 3.14. Zep. 3.3. Mi. 2.1; 3.2,3.

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying , Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea , four things say not, ⁷It is enough:

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

s ch. 27.20. Hab. 2.5. He. 6.7. Is. 30.33.

17The ^teye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of ⁸the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

t ch. 20.20. v.11. Ge. 9.22,25. Mat. 13.4,19. Le. 20.9.

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

19The ^uway of an eagle in the air; the ^vway of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the ⁹midst of the sea; and the ^wway of a man with a maid.

u Job 39.27. Is. 40.31. v Ps. 104.26; 107.26. w Ex. 22.16. Je. 31.22. Is. 7.14. Lu. 1.35.

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

x ch. 7.14,15. Je. 7.9,10; 8.12. Re. 17.3. 2Th. 2.9,10.

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

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

y 2Ki. 8.12. ch. 19.10; 28.3. Ec. 10.7. 1Sa. 25.3,10,11,25. De. 32.15. Ps. 73.7-9.

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

z ch. 19.13; 21.9,19; 27.15. a Ge. 16; 21. ch. 29.21.

24There be four things which are ^blittle upon the earth, but they are ¹⁰exceeding wise:

b Job 12.7. 1Co. 1.27.

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

c ch. 6.6-9. Ec. 9.10. Mat. 6.19,20.

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

d Le. 11.5. Ps. 104.18. Is. 33.16; 42.11.

27The ^elocusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them ¹¹by bands;

e Ex. 10.4. Le. 11.22. Joel 1.4; 2.7,11. Is. 33.4.

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

f ch. 22.29. Job 8.13,14.

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

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

31¹²A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, ^gagainst whom there is no rising up.

g Ec. 8.4. 1Ki. 4.24,25. Is. 9.6.

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

h Hab. 2.4. ch. 26.12. Ec. 8.3. i Job 21.5; 40.4. Ro. 3.19. Mi. 7.16. ch. 17.28. Ec. 10.4.

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

j ch. 17.14; 10.12; 15.18; 16.28; 26.21; 28.25; 29.22; 22.24.