Proverbs 30 – Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement.[fn]

The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:[fn]

2 I am more stupid than any other person,[fn]

and I lack a human’s ability to understand.

3 I have not gained wisdom,

and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Who has gathered the wind in his hands?

Who has bound 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 —

if you know?

5 Every word of God is pure;[fn]

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 Don’t add to his words,

or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

7 Two things I ask of you;

don’t deny them to me before I die:

8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth;

feed me with the food I need.

9 Otherwise, I might have too much

and deny you, saying, “Who is the LORD? ”

or I might have nothing and steal,

profaning[fn] the name of my God.

10 Don’t slander a servant to his master

or he will curse you, and you will become guilty.

11 There is a generation that curses its father

and does not bless its mother.

12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,

yet is not washed from its filth.

13 There is a generation ​— ​how haughty its eyes

and pretentious its looks.[fn]

14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords,

whose fangs are knives,

devouring the oppressed from the land

and the needy from among mankind.

15 The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give! ”

Three things are never satisfied;

four never say, “Enough! ”:

16 Sheol; a childless womb;

earth, which is never satisfied with water;

and fire, which never says, “Enough! ”

17 As for the eye that ridicules a father

and despises obedience to a mother,

may ravens of the valley pluck it out

and young vultures eat it.

18 Three things are too wondrous for me;

four I can’t understand:

19 the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship at sea,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

21 The earth trembles under three things;

it cannot bear up under four:

22 a servant when he becomes king,

a fool when he is stuffed with food,

23 an unloved woman when she marries,

and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

24 Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

25 ants are not a strong people,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

26 hyraxes are not a mighty people,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs;

27 locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in ranks;

28 a lizard[fn] can be caught in your hands,

yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

29 Three things are stately in their stride;

four are stately in their walk:

30 a lion, which is mightiest among beasts

and doesn’t retreat before anything;

31 a strutting rooster;[fn] a goat;

and a king at the head of his army.[fn]

32 If you have been foolish by exalting yourself

or if you’ve been scheming,

put your hand over your mouth.

33 For the churning of milk produces butter,

and twisting a nose draws blood,

and stirring up anger produces strife.