Proverbs 30 - 31

Every Word of God Is Tested

The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle. The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: 2

Surely I am more senseless than any man,

And I do not have the understanding of mankind.

Neither have I learned wisdom,

Nor do I know the knowledge of the Holy One.

Who has ascended into heaven and descended?

Who has gathered the wind in His fists?

Who has wrapped 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?

Surely you know!

Every word of God is tested;

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

Do not add to His words

Lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar.

Two things I asked of You,

Do not withhold from me before I die:

Keep worthlessness and every false word far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

Lest I be full and deny You and say, “Who is Yahweh?”

Or lest I be impoverished and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

Do not slander a slave to his master,

Lest he curse you and you be found guilty.

There is a generation that curses its father

And does not bless its mother.

There is a generation that is clean in its own eyes,

Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

There is a generation—oh how haughty are its eyes!

And its eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation whose teeth are like swords

And its fangs like knives,

To devour the afflicted from the earth

And the needy from among men.

The leech has two daughters,

“Give,” “Give.”

There are three things that will not be satisfied,

Four that will not say, “Enough”:

Sheol, and the barren womb,

Earth that is never satisfied with water,

And fire that never says, “Enough.”

The eye that mocks a father

And despises obedience to a mother,

The ravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young eagles will eat it.

There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Four which I do not understand:

The way of an eagle in the sky,

The way of a serpent on a rock,

The way of a ship in the heart of the sea,

And the way of a man with a virgin.

This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wrong.”

Under three things the earth quakes,

And under four, it cannot bear up:

Under a slave when he becomes king,

And a wicked fool when he is satisfied with food,

Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,

And a servant‑girl when she supplants her mistress.

Four things are small on the earth,

But they are exceedingly wise:

The ants are not a strong people,

But they prepare their food in the summer;

The shephanim are not a mighty people,

Yet they make their houses in the cliff;

The locusts have no king,

Yet all of them go out in rank;

The lizard you may grasp with the hands,

Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

There are three things which are stately in their march,

Even four which are stately when they walk:

The lion which is mighty among the animals

And does not turn back before any,

The strutting rooster, the male goat also,

And a king when his army is with him.

If you have been wickedly foolish in lifting yourself up,

Or if you have schemed evil, put your hand on your mouth.

For pressing milk brings forth butter,

And pressing the nose brings forth blood;

And pressing anger brings forth strife.

A Mother’s Oracle

The words of King Lemuel, the oracle unto which his mother disciplined him: 2

What, O my son?

And what, O son of my womb?

And what, O son of my vows?

Do not give your excellence to women,

Or your ways to that which blots out kings.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

It is not for kings to drink wine,

Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,

And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

Give strong drink to him who is perishing,

And wine to those whose soul is bitter.

Let him drink and forget his poverty

And he will not remember his trouble any longer.

Open your mouth for the mute,

For the justice of all those passing away.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

And render justice to the afflicted and needy.

A Woman Who Fears Yahweh

א Aleph

An excellent wife, who can find?

For her worth is far above pearls.

ב Beth

The heart of her husband trusts in her,

And he will have no lack of gain.

ג Gimel

She deals bountifully with him for good and not evil

All the days of her life.

ד Daleth

She searches for wool and flax

And works with her hands in delight.

ה He

She is like merchant ships;

She brings her food from afar.

ו Vav

And she rises while it is still night,

And gives food to her household

And a portion to her young women.

ז Zayin

She makes plans for a field and buys it;

From the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

ח Heth

She girds herself with strength

And makes her arms strong.

ט Teth

She senses that her gain is good;

Her lamp does not go out at night.

י Yodh

She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her hands hold fast the spindle.

כ Kaph

She extends her hand to the poor,

And she stretches out her hands to the needy.

ל Lamedh

She is not afraid of the snow for her household,

For all her household are clothed with scarlet.

מ Mem

She makes coverings for herself;

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

נ Nun

Her husband is known in the gates,

When he sits with the elders of the land.

ס Samekh

She makes linen garments and sells them,

And gives belts to the tradesmen.

ע Ayin

Strength and majesty are her clothing,

And she smiles at the future.

פ Pe

She opens her mouth in wisdom,

And the instruction of lovingkindness is on her tongue.

צ Tsadhe

She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

ק Qoph

Her children rise up and bless her;

As for her husband, he also praises her, saying:

ר Resh

“Many daughters have done excellently,

But you have gone above them all.”

שׁ Shin

Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain,

But a woman who fears Yahweh, she shall be praised.

ת Tav

Give to her from the fruit of her hands,

And let her works praise her in the gates.