Proverbs 30

divre agur bin-yaqeh hammassa ne'um haggever le'iti'el le'iti'el ve'ukhal

The words of Agur son of Jakeh, [man of] Massa; the speech of the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

ki va'ar anokhi me'ish velo-vinat adam li

I am more brutish than anyone else; I lack common sense.

velo-lamadti khokhmah veda'at qedoshim eda

I have not learned wisdom, Nor do I possess knowledge of the Holy One.

mi alah-shamayim vayyerad mi asaf-ruakh bekhofnayw mi tsarar-mayim bassimlah mi heqim kol-afse-arets mah-shemo umah-shem-beno ki teda

Who has ascended heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hand? Who has wrapped the waters in his garment? Who has established all the extremities of the earth? What is his name or his son’s name, if you know it?

kol-imrat eloah tserufah magen hu lakhosim bo

Every word of God is pure, A shield to those who seek refuge.

al-tosf al-devarayw pen-yokhiakh bekha venikhzaveta

Do not add to God’s words, Lest you be indicted and proved to be a liar.

shetayim sha'alti me'ittakh al-timna mimmenni beterem amut

Two things I ask of You; do not deny them to me before I die:

shav udevar-kazav harkheq mimmenni resh va'osher al-titten-li hatrifeni lekhem khuqqi

Keep lies and false words far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches, But provide me with my daily bread,

pen-esba vekhikhashti ve'amarti mi-Adonai ufen-ivvaresh veganavti vetafasti shem elohay

Lest, being sated, I renounce, saying, “Who is GOD?” Or, being impoverished, I take to theft And profane the name of my God.

al-talshen eved el-adonav pen-yeqallelkha ve'ashameta

Do not inform on a slave to his master, Lest he curse you and you incur guilt.

dor aviv yeqallel ve'et-immo lo yevarekh

There is a breed of people that brings a curse on its fathers And brings no blessing to its mothers,

dor tahor be'enayw umitso'ato lo rukhats

A breed that thinks itself pure, Though it is not washed of its filth;

dor mah-ramu enayw ve'afappayw yinnase'u

A breed so haughty of bearing, so supercilious;

dor kharavot shinnayw uma'akhalot metalle'otayw le'ekhol aniyyim me'erets ve'evyonim me'adam

A breed whose teeth are swords, Whose jaws are knives, Ready to devour the poor of the land, The needy among us.

la'aluqah shete vanot hav hav shalosh hennah lo tisbanah arba lo-ameru hon

The leech has two daughters, “Give!” and “Give!” Three things are insatiable; Four never say, “Enough!”:

she'ol ve'otser rakham erets lo-save'ah mayim ve'esh lo-amerah hon

Sheol, an infertile womb, Earth that cannot get enough water, And fire that never says, “Enough!”

ayin tilag le'av vetavuz liqqehat-em yiqqeruha oreve-nakhal veyokheluha vene-nasher

The eye that mocks a father And disdains the homage due a mother— The ravens of the brook will gouge it out, Young eagles will devour it.

sheloshah hemmah nifle'u mimmenni (vrv) [ve'arba'ah] lo yedatim

Three things are beyond me; Four I cannot fathom:

derekh hannesher bashamayim derekh nakhash ale-tsur derekh-oniyyah velev-yam vederekh gever be'almah

How an eagle makes its way over the sky; How a snake makes its way over a rock; How a ship makes its way through the high seas; How a man has his way with a maiden.

ken derekh isha mena'afet okhlah umakhatah fiha ve'amerah lo-fa'alti aven

Such is the way of an adulteress: She eats, wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wrong.”

takhat shalosh rogzah erets vetakhat arba lo-tukhal se'et

The earth shudders at three things, At four that it cannot bear:

takhat-eved ki yimlokh venaval ki yisba-lakhem

A slave who becomes king; A scoundrel sated with food;

takhat senu'ah ki tibba'el veshifkhah ki-tirash gevirtah

A loathsome woman who gets married; A maidservant who supplants her mistress.

arba'ah hem qetanne-arets vehemmah khakhamim mekhukkamim

Four are among the tiniest on earth, Yet they are the wisest of the wise:

hannemalim am lo-az vayyakhinu vaqqayits lakhmam

Ants are a folk without power, Yet they prepare food for themselves in summer;

shefannim am lo-atsum vayyasimu vassela betam

The badger is a folk without strength, Yet it makes its home in the rock;

melekh en la'arbeh vayyetse khotsets kullo

The locusts have no king, Yet they all march forth in formation;

semamit beyadayim tetappes vehi behekhele melekh

You can catch the lizard in your hand, Yet it is found in royal palaces.

sheloshah hemmah metive tsa'ad ve'arba'ah metive lakhet

There are three that are stately of stride, Four that carry themselves well:

layish gibbor babbehemah velo-yashuv mippene-khol

The lion is mightiest among the beasts, And recoils before none;

zarzir motnayim o-tayish umelekh alqum immo

The greyhound, the he-goat, The king whom none dares resist.

im-navalta vehitnasse ve'im-zammota yad lefeh

If you have been scandalously arrogant, If you have been a schemer, Then clap your hand to your mouth.

ki mits khalav yotsi khemah umits-af yotsi dam umits appayim yotsi riv

As milk under pressure produces butter, And a nose under pressure produces blood, So patience under pressure produces strife.