Proverbs 30

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,	1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh, of Massa. Prophecy of this man for Ithiel, for Ithiel and for Ucal.
2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.	2 I am myself the stupidest of people, bereft of human intel igence,
3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.	3 I have not learnt wisdom, and I lack the knowledge of the holy ones.
4 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?	4 Who has mounted to the heavens, then come down again? Who has gathered the wind in the clasp ofhis hand? Who has wrapped the waters in his cloak? Who has set al the ends of the earth firm? What is hisname? What is his child's name? Do you know?
5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.	5 Every word of God is unal oyed, a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.	6 To his words make no addition, lest he reprove you and account you a liar.
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:	7 Two things I beg of you, do not grudge me them before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:	8 keep falsehood and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches, grant me only my share offood,
9 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.	9 for fear that, surrounded by plenty, I should fall away and say, 'Yahweh-who is Yahweh?' or else, in destitution, take to stealing and profane the name of my God.
10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.	10 Do not blacken a slave's name to his master, lest he curse you, and you suffer for it.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.	11 There is a breed of person that curses his father and does not bless his mother;
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.	12 a breed that, laying claim to purity, has not yet been cleansed of its filth;
13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.	13 a breed haughty of eye, with disdain in every glance;
14 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.	14 a breed with swords for teeth, with knives for jaws, devouring the oppressed from the earth and theneedy from the land.
15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:	15 The leech has two daughters: 'Give! Give!' There are three insatiable things, four, indeed, that neversay, 'Enough!'
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.	16 Sheol, the barren womb, earth which can never have its fil of water, fire which never says, 'Enough!'
17 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.	17 The eye which looks jeeringly on a father, and scorns the obedience due to a mother, wil be peckedout by the ravens of the val ey, and eaten by the vultures.
18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:	18 There are three things beyond my comprehension, four, indeed, that I do not understand:
19 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.	19 the way of an eagle through the skies, the way of a snake over the rock, the way of a ship in mid-ocean, the way of a man with a girl.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.	20 This is how an adulteress behaves: she eats, then wipes her mouth and says, 'I have done nothingwrong!'
21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:	21 There are three things at which the earth trembles, four, indeed, which it cannot endure:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;	22 a slave become king, a brute gorged with food,
23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.	23 a hateful woman wed at last, a servant girl inheriting from her mistress.
24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:	24 There are four creatures little on the earth, though they are wisest of the wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;	25 ants, a race with no strength, yet in the summer they make sure of their food;
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;	26 the coneys, a race without defences, yet they make their home in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;	27 locusts, which have no king, yet they al march in good order;
28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.	28 lizards, which you can catch in your hand, yet they frequent the palaces of kings.
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:	29 There are three things of stately tread, four, indeed, of stately walk:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;	30 the lion, bravest of beasts, he wil draw back from nothing;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.	31 a vigorous cock, a he-goat, and the king when he harangues his people.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.	32 If you have been foolish enough to fly into a passion and now have second thoughts, lay your handon your lips.
33 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.	33 For by churning the milk you produce butter, by wringing the nose you produce blood, and bywhipping up anger you produce strife.