Parallel Bible results for "proverbs 30"

Proverbs 30

The Bible in Basic English BBE

1 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:

2 For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:

3 I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?

5 Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.

6 Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.

7 I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:

8 Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:

9 For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.

10 Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.

11 There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.

12 There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.

13 There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!

14 There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.

15 The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:

16 The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough.

17 The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.

18 There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:

19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl.

20 This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.

21 For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:

22 A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;

23 A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.

24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;

26 The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;

28 You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.

29 There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:

30 The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;

31 The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.

32 If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.

33 The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.

Good News Translation GNT

1 These are the solemn words of Agur son of Jakeh: "God is not with me, God is not with me, and I am helpless.

2 I am more like an animal than a human being; I do not have the sense we humans should have.

3 I have never learned any wisdom, and I know nothing at all about God.

4 Have any ever mastered heavenly knowledge? Have any ever caught the wind in their hands? Or wrapped up water in a piece of cloth? Or fixed the boundaries of the earth? Who are they, if you know? Who are their children?

5 "God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection.

6 If you claim that he said something that he never said, he will reprimand you and show that you are a liar."

7 I ask you, God, to let me have two things before I die:

8 keep me from lying, and let me be neither rich nor poor. So give me only as much food as I need.

9 If I have more, I might say that I do not need you. But if I am poor, I might steal and bring disgrace on my God.

10 Never criticize servants to their master. You will be cursed and suffer for it.

11 There are people who curse their fathers and do not show their appreciation for their mothers.

12 There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.

13 There are people who think they are so good - oh, how good they think they are!

14 There are people who take cruel advantage of the poor and needy; that is the way they make their living.

15 A leech has two daughters, and both are named "Give me!" There are four things that are never satisfied:

16 the world of the dead, a woman without children, dry ground that needs rain, and a fire burning out of control.

17 If you make fun of your father or despise your mother in her old age, you ought to be eaten by vultures or have your eyes picked out by wild ravens.

18 There are four things that are too mysterious for me to understand:

19 an eagle flying in the sky, a snake moving on a rock, a ship finding its way over the sea, and a man and a woman falling in love.

20 This is how an unfaithful wife acts: she commits adultery, takes a bath, and says, "But I haven't done anything wrong!"

21 There are four things that the earth itself cannot tolerate:

22 a slave who becomes a king, a fool who has all he wants to eat,

23 a hateful woman who gets married, and a servant woman who takes the place of her mistress.

24 There are four animals in the world that are small, but very, very clever:

25 Ants: they are weak, but they store up their food in the summer.

26 Rock badgers: they are not strong either, but they make their homes among the rocks.

27 Locusts: they have no king, but they move in formation.

28 Lizards: you can hold one in your hand, but you can find them in palaces.

29 There are four things that are impressive to watch as they walk:

30 lions, strongest of all animals and afraid of none;

31 goats, strutting roosters, and kings in front of their people.

32 If you have been foolish enough to be arrogant and plan evil, stop and think!

33 If you churn milk, you get butter. If you hit someone's nose, it bleeds. If you stir up anger, you get into trouble.