Proverbs
Parts V — The words of Agur
and
Part VI — The words of King Lemuel
In two translations:
Proverbs 30
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, the prophecy. The man says to Iti’el, to Iti’el and Ukhal:
2 I am more boorish than anyone, I lack human discernment;
3 I have not learned enough wisdom to know the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has cupped the wind in the palms of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!
5 Every word of God’s is pure; he shields those taking refuge in him.
6 Don’t add anything to his words; or he will rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 [God,] I have asked two things of you; don’t deny them to me as long as I live —
8 keep falsehood and futility far from me, and give me neither poverty nor wealth. Yes, provide just the food I need today;
9 for if I have too much, I might deny you and say, “Who is Adonai?” And if I am poor, I might steal
and thus profane the name of my God.
10 Never disparage a slave to his master, or he will curse you, and you will deserve it.
11 There is a type of people who curse their fathers and don’t bless their mothers.
12 There is a type of people clean in their own view, but not cleansed from their filth.
13 There is a type of people — how haughty their look! — utterly supercilious!
14 There is a type of people whose teeth are like swords, yes, their fangs are knives; they devour the poor from the earth, the needy from humankind.
15 The leech has two daughters; they cry, “Give! Give!” Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough!” —
16 Sh’ol and a barren womb; the earth, never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, “Enough!”
17 The eye that mocks his father and scorns obeying his mother will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley, and the vultures will eat it.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me, four beyond my knowledge —
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the open sea, and the way of a man with a girl.
20 This is how an unfaithful wife behaves: she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, “I did nothing wrong.”
21 Three things make the earth quake, four things it can’t bear —
22 a slave who becomes king, a boor gorged with food,
23 a hated [wife] when her husband takes her [back], and a slave-girl who inherits from her mistress.
24 Four things on the earth are small; nevertheless, they are very wise —
25 the ants, a species not strong, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 the coneys, a species with little power, yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 the locusts, who have no king, yet they all march out in ranks;
28 and the spiders, which you can catch in your hand, yet they are in the king’s palace.
29 Three things are stately in their stride, four of stately gait —
30 the lion, mightiest of beasts, which turns aside for none;
31 the greyhound, the billy-goat and the king when his army is with him.
32 If you have been boorish, exalting yourself, or if you have been scheming, lay your hand on your mouth.
33 For as pressing milk produces butter and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing out anger produces strife.
Proverbs 31
Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)
1 The words of King L’mu’el, the prophecy with which his mother disciplined him:
2 No, my son! No, son of my womb! No, son of my vows!
3 Don’t give your strength to women or your ways to that which destroys kings.
4 It is not for kings, L’mu’el, not for kings to drink wine; it is not for rulers to ask, “Where can I find strong liquor?”
5 For they may drink, then forget what has been decreed, and pervert the justice due to the poor.
6 Give strong liquor to one who is perishing, wine to the deeply depressed;
7 let him drink, forget his poverty and cease to remember his troubles.
8 Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate.
9 Speak up, judge righteously, defend the cause of the poor and the needy.
א 10 Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls.
ב 11 Her husband trusts her from his heart, and she will prove a great asset to him.
ג 12 She works to bring him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
ד 13 She procures a supply of wool and flax and works with willing hands.
ה 14 She is like those merchant vessels, bringing her food from far away.
ו 15 It’s still dark when she rises to give food to her household and orders to the young women serving her.
ז 16 She considers a field, then buys it, and from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
ח 17 She gathers her strength around her and throws herself into her work.
ט 18 She sees that her business affairs go well; her lamp stays lit at night.
י 19 She puts her hands to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod.
כ 20 She reaches out to embrace the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
ל 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed.
מ 22 She makes her own quilts; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
נ 23 Her husband is known at the city gates when he sits with the leaders of the land.
ס 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes.
ע 25 Clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come.
פ 26 When she opens her mouth, she speaks wisely; on her tongue is loving instruction.
צ 27 She watches how things go in her house, not eating the bread of idleness.
ק 28 Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her:
ר 29 “Many women have done wonderful things, but you surpass them all!”
ש 30 Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.
ת 31 Give her a share in what she produces; let her works speak her praises at the city gates.
Proverbs 30
The Words of Agur
1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who 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 is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
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;
31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Proverbs 31
The Words of King Lemuel
1The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
The Virtues of Noble Woman
א
10Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
ב
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
ג
12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
ד
13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
ה
14She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
ו
15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
ז
16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
ח
17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
ט
18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
י
19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
כ
20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
ל
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
מ
22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
נ
23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
ס
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
ע
25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
פ
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
צ
27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
ק
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
ר
29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
ש
30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
ת
31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.
Leave a Reply, please --- thank you.