Proverbs 30 Clementine Vulgate
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Verba Congregantis, filii Vomentis. Visio quam locutus est vir cum quo est Deus, et qui Deo secum morante confortatus, ait:
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 [Stultissimus sum virorum, et sapientia hominum non est mecum.
2 “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.
3 Non didici sapientiam, et non novi scientiam sanctorum.
3 I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Quis ascendit in cælum, atque descendit? quis continuit spiritum in manibus suis? quis colligavit aquas quasi in vestimento? quis suscitavit omnes terminos terræ? quod nomen est ejus, et quod nomen filii ejus, si nosti?
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 Omnis sermo Dei ignitus: clypeus est sperantibus in se.
5 “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Ne addas quidquam verbis illius, et arguaris, inveniarisque mendax.
6 Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
7 Duo rogavi te: ne deneges mihi antequam moriar:
7 “Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.
8 vanitatem et verba mendacia longe fac a me; mendicitatem et divitias ne dederis mihi: tribue tantum victui meo necessaria,
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 ne forte satiatus illiciar ad negandum, et dicam: Quis est Dominus? aut egestate compulsus, furer, et perjurem nomen Dei mei.
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 Ne accuses servum ad dominum suum, ne forte maledicat tibi, et corruas.]
10 “Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
11 [Generatio quæ patri suo maledicit, et quæ matri suæ non benedicit;
11 There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.
12 generatio quæ sibi munda videtur, et tamen non est lota a sordibus suis;
12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 generatio cujus excelsi sunt oculi, et palpebræ ejus in alta surrectæ;
13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.
14 generatio quæ pro dentibus gladios habet, et commandit molaribus suis, ut comedat inopes de terra, et pauperes ex hominibus.
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 Sanguisugæ duæ sunt filiæ, dicentes: Affer, affer. Tria sunt insaturabilia, et quartum quod numquam dicit: Sufficit.
15 “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:
16 Infernus, et os vulvæ, et terra quæ non satiatur aqua: ignis vero numquam dicit: Sufficit.
16 Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’
17 Oculum qui subsannat patrem, et qui despicit partum matris suæ, effodiant eum corvi de torrentibus, et comedant eum filii aquilæ !]
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 [Tria sunt difficilia mihi, et quartum penitus ignoro:
18 “There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:
19 viam aquilæ in cælo, viam colubri super petram, viam navis in medio mari, et viam viri in adolescentia.
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 Talis est et via mulieris adulteræ, quæ comedit, et tergens os suum dicit: Non sum operata malum.
20 “So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 Per tria movetur terra, et quartum non potest sustinere:
21 “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:
22 per servum, cum regnaverit; per stultum, cum saturatus fuerit cibo;
22 For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,
23 per odiosam mulierem, cum in matrimonio fuerit assumpta; et per ancillam, cum fuerit hæres dominæ suæ.]
23 for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
24 [Quatuor sunt minima terræ, et ipsa sunt sapientiora sapientibus:
24 “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
25 formicæ, populus infirmus, qui præparat in messe cibum sibi;
25 The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
26 lepusculus, plebs invalida, qui collocat in petra cubile suum;
26 The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.
27 regem locusta non habet, et egreditur universa per turmas suas;
27 The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
28 stellio manibus nititur, et moratur in ædibus regis.
28 You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
29 Tria sunt quæ bene gradiuntur, et quartum quod incedit feliciter:
29 “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:
30 leo, fortissimus bestiarum, ad nullius pavebit occursum;
30 The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;
31 gallus succinctus lumbos; et aries; nec est rex, qui resistat ei.
31 the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
32 Est qui stultus apparuit postquam elevatus est in sublime; si enim intellexisset, ori suo imposuisset manum.
32 “If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 Qui autem fortiter premit ubera ad eliciendum lac exprimit butyrum; et qui vehementer emungit elicit sanguinem; et qui provocat iras producit discordias.]
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)