Provérbios 30
Massaiten Agur, Jakes Søns ord. Manden siger: Træt har jeg slidt mig, Gud, træt har jeg slidt mig, Gud, jeg svandt hen;
thi jeg er for dum til at regnes for Mand, Mands Vid er ikke i mig;
Visdom lærte jeg ej, den Hellige lærte jeg ikke at kende.
Hvo opsteg til Himlen og nedsteg igen, hvo samlede Vinden i sine Næver, hvo bandt Vandet i et Klæde, hvo greb fat om den vide Jord? Hvad er hans Navn og hans Søns Navn? Du kender det jo.
Al Guds Tale er ren, han er Skjold for dem, der lider på ham.
Læg intet til hans Ord, at han ikke skal stemple dig som Løgner.
Tvende Ting har jeg bedet dig om, nægt mig dem ej, før jeg dør:
Hold Svig og Løgneord fra mig: giv mig hverken Armod eller Rigdom, men lad mig nyde mit tilmålte Brød,
Bagtal ikke en Træl for hans Herre, at han ikke forbander dig, så du må bøde.
Der findes en Slægt, som forbander sin Fader og ikke velsigner sin Moder,
en Slægt, der tykkes sig ren og dog ej har tvættet Snavset af sig,
en Slægt med de stolteste Øjne, hvis Blikke er fulde af Hovmod.
en Slægt, hvis Tænder er Sværd hvis Kæber er skarpe Knive, så de æder de arme ud af Landet, de fattige ud af Menneskers Samfund.
Blodiglen har to Døtre: Givhid, Givhid! Der er tre, som ikke kan mættes, fire, som aldrig får nok:
Dødsriget og det golde Moderliv, Jorden, som aldrig mættes af Vand, og Ilden, som aldrig får nok.
Den, som håner sin Fader og spotter sin gamle Moder, hans Øje udhakker Bækkens Ravne, Ørneunger får det til Æde.
Tre Ting undres jeg over, fire fatter jeg ikke:
Ørnens Vej på Himlen, Slangens Vej på Klipper, Skibets Vej på Havet, Mandens Vej til den unge Kvinde.
Under tre Ting skælver et Land, fire kan det ikke bære:
En Træl, når han gøres til Konge, en Nidding, når han spiser sig mæt,
en bortstødt Hustru, når hun bliver gift, en Trælkvinde, når hun arver sin Frue.
Fire på Jorden er små, visere dog end Vismænd:
Myrerne, de er et Folk uden Styrke, samler dog Føde om Somren;
Klippegrævlinger, et Folk uden Magt, bygger dog Bolig i Klipper;
Græshopper, de har ej Konge, drager dog ud i Rad og Række;
Firbenet, det kan man gribe med Hænder, er dog i Kongers Paladser.
Tre skrider stateligt frem, fire har statelig Gang:
Løven, Kongen blandt Dyrene, som ikke viger for nogen;
en sadlet Stridshest, en Buk, en Konge midt i sin Hær.
Har du handlet som Dåre i Overmod, tænker du ondt, da Hånd for Mund!
Thi Tryk på Mælk giver Ost, Tryk på Næsen Blod og Tryk på Vrede Trætte.
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, {even} the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
Surely I {am} more brutish than {any} man, and have not the understanding of a man.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. {have: Heb. know}
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what {is} his name, and what {is} his son's name, if thou canst tell?
Every word of God {is} pure: he {is} a shield unto them that put their trust in him. {pure: Heb. purified}
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Two {things} have I required of thee; deny me {them} not before I die: {deny...: Heb. withhold not from me}
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: {convenient...: Heb. of my allowance}
Lest I be full, and deny {thee}, and say, Who {is} the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God {in vain}. {deny...: Heb. belie thee}
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. {Accuse...: Heb. Hurt not with thy tongue}
{There is} a generation {that} curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
{There is} a generation {that are} pure in their own eyes, and {yet} is not washed from their filthiness.
{There is} a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
{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.
The horseleach hath two daughters, {crying}, Give, give. There are three {things that} are never satisfied, {yea}, four {things} say not, {It is} enough: {It is...: Heb. Wealth}
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth {that} is not filled with water; and the fire {that} saith not, {It is} enough.
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. {the valley: or, the brook}
There be three {things which} are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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 maid. {midst: Heb. heart}
Such {is} the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
For three {things} the earth is disquieted, and for four {which} it cannot bear:
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
For an odious {woman} when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
There be four {things which are} little upon the earth, but they {are} exceeding wise: {exceeding...: Heb. wise, made wise}
The ants {are} a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
The conies {are but} a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; {by...: Heb. gathered together}
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
There be three {things} which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
A lion {which is} strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom {there is} no rising up. {greyhound: or, horse: Heb. girt in the loins}
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, {lay} thine hand upon thy mouth.
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.