Proverbs · American Standard Version (1901)
Proverbs 30 American Standard Version (1901)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;
2 “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3 And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.
3 I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?
4 Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound 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, if you know?
5 Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.
5 “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
6 Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me [them] not before I die:
7 “Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
9 Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.
9 lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
10 Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
10 “Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother.
11 There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.
12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.
13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.
14 There 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.
14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.
15 The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [Yea], four that say not, Enough:
15 “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16 Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough.
16 Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’
17 The 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.
17 “The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:
18 “There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:
19 The 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 maiden.
19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.
20 So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.
20 “So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, [which] it cannot bear:
21 “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:
22 For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;
22 For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,
23 For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
23 for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:
24 “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer;
25 The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;
26 The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.
27 The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;
27 The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
28 The lizard taketh hold with her hands, Yet is she in kings’ palaces.
28 You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, four which are stately in going:
29 “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:
30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any;
30 The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31 The greyhound; the he-goat also; And the king against whom there is no rising up.
31 the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, [Lay] thy hand upon thy mouth.
32 “If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
33 For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Agur
Named in Proverbs 30:1 as the speaker whose words and burden are recorded there, addressed to Ithiel and Ucal.
Cited in the guide: Proverbs 30:1
Ithiel
A man to whom Agur declared his words in Proverbs 30:1.
Cited in the guide: Proverbs 30:1
Jakeh
Named only as the father of Agur, whose words fill Proverbs 30.
Cited in the guide: Proverbs 30:1
Ucal
A man named with Ithiel as addressee of Agur's words in Proverbs 30:1.
Cited in the guide: Proverbs 30:1
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Proverbs 31:1; 2 Peter 1:19–21
- 2 Psalm 73:22; 1 Corinthians 3:18; Proverbs 5:12; 1 Corinthians 8:2; Isaiah 6:5
- 3 Ephesians 3:18–19; Revelation 3:7; Proverbs 9:10; Romans 11:33; Job 11:7–9
- 4 John 3:13; Ephesians 4:8–10; Job 26:8; Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 7:14
- 5 Psalm 18:30; Psalm 12:6; James 3:17; Psalm 84:11; Psalm 3:3
- 6 Deuteronomy 12:32; Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18–19; Job 13:7–9; 1 Corinthians 15:15
- 7 Luke 10:42; Psalm 27:4; 2 Kings 2:9; 1 Kings 3:5–9; Psalm 21:2
- 8 1 Timothy 6:6–8; Psalm 62:9–10; Psalm 119:37; Matthew 6:33; Luke 11:3
- 9 Hosea 13:6; Deuteronomy 31:20; Ezekiel 16:49–50; Deuteronomy 8:10–14; Nehemiah 9:25–26
- 10 Ecclesiastes 7:21; Romans 14:4; Daniel 3:8–18; 2 Samuel 19:26–27; 2 Chronicles 24:22–24
- 11 Proverbs 20:20; Deuteronomy 27:16; Proverbs 30:17; Exodus 21:17; Proverbs 30:12–14
- 12 Luke 18:11; Proverbs 16:2; 2 Timothy 3:5; Jeremiah 2:35; Titus 3:5
- 13 Proverbs 6:17; Isaiah 2:11; Psalm 101:5; Psalm 131:1; Ezekiel 28:9
- 14 Psalm 57:4; Psalm 3:7; Psalm 14:4; Job 29:17; Psalm 58:6
- 15 Proverbs 30:21; Romans 16:18; Proverbs 6:16; Proverbs 30:29; Jude 11–12
- 16 Proverbs 27:20; Habakkuk 2:5; Genesis 30:1
- 17 Proverbs 30:11; Proverbs 23:22; Deuteronomy 21:18–21; Leviticus 20:9; Proverbs 20:20
- 18 Job 42:3; Psalm 139:6
- 20 Proverbs 7:13–23; Proverbs 5:6; Numbers 5:11–30
- 22 Proverbs 19:10; Ecclesiastes 10:7; 1 Samuel 25:36–38; 1 Samuel 25:3; 1 Samuel 25:10–11
- 23 Proverbs 21:19; Proverbs 27:15; Proverbs 21:9; Proverbs 29:21; Proverbs 19:13
- 24 Job 12:7
- 25 Proverbs 6:6–8
- 26 Psalm 104:18; Leviticus 11:5
- 27 Joel 1:6–7; Joel 2:7–11; Psalm 105:34; Exodus 10:4–6; Joel 2:25
- 30 Judges 14:18; Numbers 23:24
- 31 Daniel 3:15–18; Proverbs 20:2; Proverbs 16:14
- 32 Job 21:5; Romans 3:19; Job 40:4; Micah 7:16–17; Proverbs 26:12
- 33 Proverbs 29:22; Proverbs 17:14; Proverbs 28:25; Proverbs 15:18; Proverbs 26:21
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The slave shook the world, since by three things the earth is shaken, and the fourth it cannot bear,--if a slave became a king.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
There are in the Book of Proverbs three things which go well, a lion, a goat, and a cock; and to these is added a fourth;--a King making a speech before the people, to pass over the other sets of four which are there counted up, although things of various natures.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)