Chapter 30

1The words of Agur son of Yakeh, [man of] Massa; The speech of the man to Itiel, to Itiel and Ukal:

אדִּבְרֵי אָגוּר בִּן־יָקֶה הַמַּשָּׂא נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר לְאִיתִיאֵל לְאִיתִיאֵל וְאֻכָל׃

2I am brutish, less than a man; I lack common sense.

בכִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ וְלֹא־בִינַת אָדָם לִי׃

3I have not learned wisdom, Nor do I possess knowledge of the Holy One.

גוְלֹא־לָמַדְתִּי חָכְמָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָע׃

4Who has ascended heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hand? Who has wrapped the waters in his garment? Who has established all the extremities of the earth? What is his name or his son's name, if you know it?

דמִי עָלָה־שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד מִי אָסַף־רוּחַ בְּחָפְנָיו מִי צָרַר־מַיִם בַּשִּׂמְלָה מִי הֵקִים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ מַה־שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה־שֶּׁם־בְּנוֹ כִּי תֵדָע׃

5Every word of Hashem is pure, A shield to those who take refuge in Him.

הכָּל־אִמְרַת אֱלוֹהַּ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לַחֹסִים בּוֹ׃

6Do not add to His words, Lest He indict you and you be proved a liar.

ואַל־תּוֹסְףְּ עַל־דְּבָרָיו פֶּן־יוֹכִיחַ בְּךָ וְנִכְזָבְתָּ׃

7Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:

זשְׁתַּיִם שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ אַל־תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי בְּטֶרֶם אָמוּת׃

8Keep lies and false words far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches, But provide me with my daily bread,

SHAV ud-var ka-ZAV har-KHAYK mi-ME-nee RAYSH va-O-sher al TI-ten LEE hat-ree-FAY-nee LE-khem khu-KEE

חשָׁוְא וּדְבַר־כָּזָב הַרְחֵק מִמֶּנִּי רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּתֶּן־לִי הַטְרִיפֵנִי לֶחֶם חֻקִּי׃

9Lest, being sated, I renounce, saying, “Who is Hashem?” Or, being impoverished, I take to theft And profane the name of my God.

טפֶּן אֶשְׂבַּע וְכִחַשְׁתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מִי יְהֹוָה וּפֶן־אִוָּרֵשׁ וְגָנַבְתִּי וְתָפַשְׂתִּי שֵׁם אֱלֹהָי׃

10Do not inform on a slave to his master, Lest he curse you and you incur guilt.

יאַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־אדנו [אֲדֹנָיו] פֶּן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָׁמְתָּ׃

11There is a breed of men that brings a curse on its fathers And brings no blessing to its mothers,

יאדּוֹר אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמּוֹ לֹא יְבָרֵךְ׃

12A breed that thinks itself pure, Though it is not washed of its filth;

יבדּוֹר טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ לֹא רֻחָץ׃

13A breed so haughty of bearing, so supercilious;

יגדּוֹר מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵׂאוּ׃

14A breed whose teeth are swords, Whose jaws are knives, Ready to devour the poor of the land, The needy among men.

ידדּוֹר חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו וּמַאֲכָלוֹת מְתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיוֹנִים מֵאָדָם׃

15The leech has two daughters, “Give!” and “Give!” Three things are insatiable; Four never say, “Enough!”:

טולַעֲלוּקָה שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת הַב הַב שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הוֹן׃

16Sheol, a barren womb, Earth that cannot get enough water, And fire which never says, “Enough!”

טזשְׁאוֹל וְעֹצֶר רָחַם אֶרֶץ לֹא־שָׂבְעָה מַּיִם וְאֵשׁ לֹא־אָמְרָה הוֹן׃

17The eye that mocks a father And disdains the homage due a mother— The ravens of the brook will gouge it out, Young eagles will devour it.

יזעַיִן תִּלְעַג לְאָב וְתָבוּז לִיקֲּהַת־אֵם יִקְּרוּהָ עֹרְבֵי־נַחַל וְיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי־נָשֶׁר׃

18Three things are beyond me; Four I cannot fathom:

יחשְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי וארבע [וְאַרְבָּעָה] לֹא יְדַעְתִּים׃

19How an eagle makes its way over the sky; How a snake makes its way over a rock; How a ship makes its way through the high seas; How a man has his way with a maiden.

יטדֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר בַּשָּׁמַיִם דֶּרֶךְ נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי צוּר דֶּרֶךְ־אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב־יָם וְדֶרֶךְ גֶּבֶר בְּעַלְמָה׃

20Such is the way of an adulteress: She eats, wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wrong.”

ככֵּן דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא־פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן׃

21The earth shudders at three things, At four which it cannot bear:

כאתַּחַת שָׁלוֹשׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְתַחַת אַרְבַּע לֹא־תוּכַל שְׂאֵת׃

22A slave who becomes king; A scoundrel sated with food;

כבתַּחַת־עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ וְנָבָל כִּי יִשְׂבַּע־לָחֶם׃

23A loathsome woman who gets married; A slave-girl who supplants her mistress.

כגתַּחַת שְׂנוּאָה כִּי תִבָּעֵל וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי־תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ׃

24Four are among the tiniest on earth, Yet they are the wisest of the wise:

כדאַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּי־אָרֶץ וְהֵמָּה חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִים׃

25Ants are a folk without power, Yet they prepare food for themselves in summer;

כההַנְּמָלִים עַם לֹא־עָז וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָם׃

26The badger is a folk without strength, Yet it makes its home in the rock;

כושְׁפַנִּים עַם לֹא־עָצוּם וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָם׃

27The locusts have no king, Yet they all march forth in formation;

כזמֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּוֹ׃

28You can catch the lizard in your hand, Yet it is found in royal palaces.

כחשְׂמָמִית בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ וְהִיא בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ׃

29There are three that are stately of stride, Four that carry themselves well:

כטשְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד וְאַרְבָּעָה מֵיטִבֵי לָכֶת׃

30The lion is mightiest among the beasts, And recoils before none;

ללַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹל׃

31The greyhound, the he-goat, The king whom none dares resist.

לאזַרְזִיר מָתְנַיִם אוֹ־תָיִשׁ וּמֶלֶךְ אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ׃

32If you have been scandalously arrogant, If you have been a schemer, Then clap your hand to your mouth.

לבאִם־נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא וְאִם־זַמּוֹתָ יָד לְפֶה׃

33As milk under pressure produces butter, And a nose under pressure produces blood, So patience under pressure produces strife.

לגכִּי מִיץ חָלָב יוֹצִיא חֶמְאָה וּמִיץ־אַף יוֹצִיא דָם וּמִיץ אַפַּיִם יוֹצִיא רִיב׃