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Proverbs 30

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. [1] ⓐ The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: [2]

² I am more stupid than any other man, [3] and I lack man’s ability to understand. ⓑ

³ I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. ⓒ

⁴ Who has gone up to heaven and come down? ⓓ Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? ⓔ Who has established all the ends of the earth? ⓕ What is His name, and what is the name of His Son — if you know? ⓖ

⁵ Every word of God is pure; [4] ⓗ He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. ⓘ

⁶ Don’t add to His words, ⓙ or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. ⓚ

⁷ Two things I ask of You; don’t deny them to me before I die:

⁸ Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. ⓛ

⁹ Otherwise, I might have too much ⓜ and deny You, ⓝ saying, “Who is the LORD?” ⓞ or I might have nothing and steal, ⓟ profaning [5] the name of my God. ⓠ

¹⁰ Don’t slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, ⓡ and you will become guilty.

¹¹ There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. ⓢ

¹² There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, ⓣ yet is not washed from its filth.

¹³ There is a generation — how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. [6]

¹⁴ There is a generation whose teeth are swords, ⓤ whose fangs are knives, ⓥ devouring the oppressed from the land ⓦ and the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵ The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!” Three things ⓧ are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶ Sheol; ⓨ a childless womb; ⓩ earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

¹⁷ As for the eye that ridicules a father ⓐ and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it. ⓑ

¹⁸ Three things are beyond me; four I can’t understand:

¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰ This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” ⓒ

²¹ The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four:

²² a servant when he becomes king, ⓓ a fool when he is stuffed with food,

²³ an unloved woman when she marries, ⓔ and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

²⁴ Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; ⓕ

²⁶ hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; ⓖ

²⁷ locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; ⓗ

²⁸ a lizard [7] can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk:

³⁰ a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn’t retreat before anything,

³¹ a strutting rooster, [8] a goat, and a king at the head of his army. [9]

³² If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you’ve been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. ⓘ

³³ For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. ⓙ

#	HCSB
1	The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. [1] ⓐ The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: [2]
2	I am more stupid than any other man, [3] and I lack man’s ability to understand. ⓑ
3	I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. ⓒ
4	Who has gone up to heaven and come down? ⓓ Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? ⓔ Who has established all the ends of the earth? ⓕ What is His name, and what is the name of His Son — if you know? ⓖ
5	Every word of God is pure; [4] ⓗ He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. ⓘ
6	Don’t add to His words, ⓙ or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. ⓚ
7	Two things I ask of You; don’t deny them to me before I die:
8	Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. ⓛ
9	Otherwise, I might have too much ⓜ and deny You, ⓝ saying, “Who is the LORD?” ⓞ or I might have nothing and steal, ⓟ profaning [5] the name of my God. ⓠ
10	Don’t slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, ⓡ and you will become guilty.
11	There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. ⓢ
12	There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, ⓣ yet is not washed from its filth.
13	There is a generation — how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. [6]
14	There is a generation whose teeth are swords, ⓤ whose fangs are knives, ⓥ devouring the oppressed from the land ⓦ and the needy from among mankind.
15	The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give!” Three things ⓧ are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough!”:
16	Sheol; ⓨ a childless womb; ⓩ earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, “Enough!”
17	As for the eye that ridicules a father ⓐ and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it. ⓑ
18	Three things are beyond me; four I can’t understand:
19	the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.
20	This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” ⓒ
21	The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four:
22	a servant when he becomes king, ⓓ a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23	an unloved woman when she marries, ⓔ and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.
24	Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
25	the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; ⓕ
26	hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; ⓖ
27	locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; ⓗ
28	a lizard [7] can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings’ palaces.
29	Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk:
30	a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn’t retreat before anything,
31	a strutting rooster, [8] a goat, and a king at the head of his army. [9]
32	If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you’ve been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. ⓘ
33	For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. ⓙ

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