30
1 The devarim of Agur Ben Yakeh, even the massa; the gever (man) spoke unto Itiel, even unto Itiel and Ukhal:
2 Surely I am more stupid than any ish,
and have not the binat adam.
3 I neither learned chochmah,
nor have the da'as of the Kedoshim.
4 Who hath ascended into Shomayim, or descended?
Who hath gathered ruach in the hollows of His hands?
Who hath bound the mayim in a cloak?
Who hath established all the afsei aretz (ends of the earth)?
What is Shmo (His Name),
and what is Shem Bno (the Name of His Son ),*
if thou canst tell?
5 Every word of G-d is flawless;
He is a mogen unto them that take refuge in Him.
6 Add thou not unto His devarim,
lest He rebuke thee, and thou be found a kazav (liar).
7 Two things have I required of thee;
deny me them not before my mot;
8 Remove far from me shav (vanity, falsehood) and davar kazav (word of a liar);
give me neither poverty nor osher;
feed me lechem chukki (my daily bread);
9 Lest I be full, and deny Thee,
and say, Who is Hashem?
Or lest I be poor, and become a ganav,
and profane the Shem of Elohai.
10 Do not slander an eved unto his adon,
lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 There is a dor (generation) that curseth its av,
and doth not make a bracha on its em.
12 There is a dor (generation) that is tahor (pure) in its own eynayim,
and yet is not washed from its filthiness.
13 There is a dor (generation), O how haughty in loftiness are their eynayim!
And their eyelids are proudly lifted up.
14 There is a dor (generation), whose teeth are as charavot (swords),
and their jaw teeth are as knives,
to devour the aniyim (oppressed poor ones) from off ha'aretz,
and the evyonim (needy ones) from among adam.
15 The leech hath two banot: Give! Give!
There are shalosh (three) that are never satisfied,
indeed, four things never say, Enough!
16 Sheol, and the barren womb;
eretz that is never satisfied with mayim;
and eish that saith not, Enough!
17 The ayin (eye) that mocketh at av,
and scorneth to obey em,
the ravens of the valley shall peck it out,
and the bnei nesher shall eat it.
18 There are shalosh which are too wonderful for me,
indeed, four which I understand not;
19 The derech hanesher (way of the eagle) in the sky;
the derech nachash upon a tzur (rock);
the derech oniyah (way of a sailing vessel) in the midst of the yam (sea);
and the derech gever (way of a man) with an almah (unmarried young virgin).†
20 Such is the derech isha mena'efet (way of an adulterous woman):
she eateth, and wipeth her peh (mouth),
and saith, I have done no wrong.
21 For shalosh the eretz is disquieted,
and for four which it cannot bear:
22 For an eved (slave) when he reigneth;
and a naval (fool) when he is full with lechem;
23 For an unloved woman when she is married;
and a shifchah that displaces her gevirah (lady, mistress).
24 There are four things which are little upon eretz,
but they are exceeding chachamim:
25 The nemalim (ants) are an am (people) not strong,
yet they store up their lechem in the kayitz (summer);
26 The badgers are but a feeble folk,
yet they make their bais in the rocks;
27 The arbeh (locusts) have no melech,
yet they go forth all of them in ranks;
28 The lizard can be held in the hands,
yet is in heikhelot (palaces) of a melech.
29 There are shloshah which are majestic in stride,
indeed, four are stately in walk:
30 A lion which is gibbor among behemah (beasts),
and retreateth not from any;
31 The strutting rooster; the he-goat also;
and a melech, when his army is with him.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in exalting thyself,
or if thou hast devised rah, lay thine yad upon thy peh.
33 Surely the churning of cholov (milk) bringeth forth khemah (butter),
and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth dahm;
so the stirring up of anger bringeth forth strife.
* 30:4 See Memra, creative Word of G-d in Targumim † 30:19 See Gn 24:16,43,63-65