Proverbs · Geneva Bible (1599)
Proverbs 30 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 THE WORDS OF AGUR THE SONNE OF JAKEH. The prophecie which ye man spake vnto Ithiel, euen to Ithiel, and Vcal.
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 foolish then any man, and haue not the vnderstanding of a man in me.
2 “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3 For I haue not learned wisedome, nor atteined to the knowledge of holy things.
3 I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended vp to heauen, and descended? Who hath gathered the winde in his fist? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the endes of the world? What is his name, and what is his sonnes name, if thou canst tell?
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 Euery worde of God is pure: he is a shield to those, that trust in him.
5 “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Put nothing vnto his wordes, least he reproue thee, and thou be found a lyar.
6 Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Two things haue I required of thee: denie me them not before I die.
7 “Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.
8 Remooue farre from me vanitie and lyes: giue me not pouertie, nor riches: feede me with foode conuenient 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 Least I be full, and denie thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or least I be poore and steale, and take the Name of my God in vaine.
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 Accuse not a seruant vnto his master, lest he curse thee, when thou hast offended.
10 “Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doeth not blesse 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 owne conceite, and yet are not washed from their filthinesse.
12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 There is a generation, whose eies are hautie, and their eye liddes are lifted vp.
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 swordes, and their chawes as kniues to eate vp the afflicted out of the earth, and the poore 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 horse leache hath two daughters which crye, Giue, giue. There be three things that will not be satisfied: yea, foure that say not, It is ynough.
15 “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16 The graue, and the barren wombe, the earth that cannot be satisfied with water, and the fire that sayeth not, It is ynough.
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 his father and despiseth the instruction of his mother, let ye rauens of the valley picke it out, and the yong eagles eate 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 be three thinges hid from me: yea, foure that I knowe 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 aire, the way of a serpent vpon a stone, ye way of a ship in ye middes of the sea, and the way of a man with a maide.
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 Such is ye way also of an adulterous woman: she eateth and wipeth her mouth, and sayth, I haue not committed iniquitie.
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 is moued: yea, for foure it cannot susteine it selfe:
21 “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:
22 For a seruant when he reigneth, and a foole when he is filled with meate,
22 For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,
23 For the hatefull woman, when she is married, and for a handmaid that is heire to her mistres.
23 for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
24 These be foure small things in the earth, yet they are wise and full of wisedome:
24 “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 The pismires a people not strong, yet prepare they their meate in sommer:
25 The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
26 The conies a people not mightie, yet make their houses in the rocke:
26 The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.
27 The grashopper hath no King, yet goe they forth all by bandes:
27 The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
28 The spider taketh holde with her handes, and is in Kings palaces.
28 You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There be three thinges that order well their going: yea, foure are comely in going,
29 “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:
30 A lyon which is strong among beastes, and turneth not at the sight of any:
30 The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31 A lusty grayhound, and a goate, and a King against whom there is no rising vp.
31 the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast bene foolish in lifting thy selfe vp, and if thou hast thought wickedly, lay thine hand vpon 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 When one churneth milke, he bringeth foorth butter: and he that wringeth his nose, causeth blood to come out: so he that forceth wrath, bringeth foorth 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
Ithiel
A man to whom Agur declared his 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)