Old Testament · Poetry and wisdom

Proverbs chapter 30

The words of son of Jakeh — an . The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:Surely I am more than anyone, and I lack the understanding that most people have.I have not learned , and I have no knowledge of .Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? Who has in the hollow of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? , and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!Every word God speaks has been . He is a to everyone who in him.Don’t add to his words, or he will you and expose you as a liar.Two things I ask of you, — don’t refuse me before I die:Keep far from me; give me neither poverty nor wealth — just feed me .Otherwise, I might have too much and , saying, “Who is Yahweh?” Or I might become poor and steal, of my God.Don’t a to their employer, or they will curse you and you’ll pay the price.There are those who their father and their mother.There are those who see themselves as but have never been washed of their .There are those — how ! How their eyelids lift with contempt!There are those whose teeth are swords, whose jaws are set with knives, ready to from the earth and the needy from among humanity.The has two daughters: “Give! Give!” they cry. Three things are never satisfied, four that never say “Enough!”:, the , land that is never satisfied with water, and fire that never says “Enough!”The eye that a father and scorns obedience to a mother — the of the valley will gouge it out, and the vultures will eat it.Three things , four that I can’t begin to understand:the way an soars through the sky, the way a snake moves over rock, the way a ship cuts through open ocean, and the way a man a woman.This is also the way of an : she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, “.”Under three things the earth , under four it cannot bear up:a who becomes king, a who is stuffed with food,a who finally gets married, and a servant girl who .Four things on earth are small, but they are : are creatures of little strength, but they store up their food in summer. are not powerful creatures, but they make their home in the cliffs. have no king, but they all .A you can catch with your hands, but it makes its way into kings’ palaces.Three things move with , four that carry themselves with :a , the , who doesn’t retreat before anything,a , a male goat, and .If you’ve been foolish enough to , or if you’ve been scheming — stop and .For as cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up produces .