New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Proverbs 30
1
These sayings are the words of Agur, son of Jakeh. He spoke them as if they came from God. He spoke them to Ithiel and to Ucal.
People
4
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the palms of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his coat? Who has set all the boundaries of the earth in place? What is his name? What is his son's name? Tell me if you know!
Reference
5
"Every word of God is perfect. He is like a shield to those who trust in him. He keeps them safe.
Reference
Faith
Psalm 18:30
Psalm 91:2
Psalm 144:2
Parallel theme
Psalm 3:3
James 3:17
References God
Psalm 84:11
Word
Psalm 12:6
Psalm 119:140
Genesis 15:1
Romans 7:12
6
Don't add to his words. If you do, he will correct you. He will prove that you are a liar.
Reference
8
Keep lies far away from me. Don't make me either poor or rich, but give me only the bread I need each day.
Reference
9
If you don't, I might have too much. Then I might say I don't know you. I might say, 'Who is the Lord?' Or I might become poor and steal. Then I would bring shame to the name of my God.
Reference
Parallel theme
Hosea 13:6
Matthew 26:72
Matthew 26:74
Proverbs 29:24
References God
Deuteronomy 31:20
Deuteronomy 32:15
Exodus 20:7
Joshua 24:27
References Lord
Jeremiah 2:31
Exodus 5:2
10
"Don't tell lies about a servant when you talk to his master. If you do, he will call down curses on you. And you will pay for it.
Reference
14
Some people have teeth like swords. The teeth in their jaws are as sharp as knives. They are ready to eat up the poor people of the earth. They are ready to eat up those who are the most needy.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 3:7
Psalm 14:4
Job 29:17
Psalm 12:5
Ecclesiastes 4:1
Amos 8:4
Revelation 9:8
Psalm 58:6
Word
Psalm 57:4
15
"A bloodsucking worm has two daughters. They cry out, 'Give! Give!' "Three things are never satisfied. Four things never say, 'Enough!'
Reference
16
The first is the grave. The second is a woman who can't have a baby. The third is land. It never gets enough water. And the fourth is fire. It never says, 'Enough!'
Reference
17
"Some make fun of their fathers. Others laugh about obeying their mothers. The ravens of the valley will peck their eyes out. Then the vultures will eat them.
Reference
18
"Three things are too amazing for me. There are four things I don't understand.
Reference
Parallel theme
Job 42:3
19
The first is the way of an eagle in the sky. The second is the way of a snake on a rock. The third is the way of a ship on the ocean. And the fourth is the way of a man with a young woman.
20
"This is the way of a woman who commits adultery. She eats. She wipes her mouth. Then she says, 'I haven't done anything wrong.'
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 5:6
21
"Under three things the earth shakes. Under four things it can't stand up.
22
The first is a servant who becomes a king. The second is a foolish person who is full of food.
Reference
23
The third is a woman who is married but not loved by her husband. And the fourth is a woman servant who takes the place of the woman she works for.
Reference
24
"Four things on earth are small. But they are very wise.
25
The first are ants. They aren't very strong. But they store up their food in the summer.
26
The second are rock badgers. They aren't very powerful. But they make their home among the rocks.
Reference
28
And the fourth are lizards. Your hand can catch them. But you will find them in kings' palaces.
29
"Three things walk as if they were kings. Four things move as kings do.
30
The first is a lion. It is mighty among the animals. It doesn't back away from anything.
Reference
Parallel theme
Judges 14:18
31
The second is a rooster that walks proudly. The third is a billy goat. And the fourth is a king who has his army around him.
32
"Have you been foolish? Have you thought you were better than others? Have you planned evil? If you have, put your hand over your mouth and stop talking!
Reference
Summary of Proverbs 30
Proverbs 30 has a distinctive character because it begins with humility rather than confidence.
Agur does not present himself as someone who has mastered every mystery.
Instead, he openly recognizes how limited human understanding is compared with the greatness of God.
This gives the entire chapter a reflective tone.
The central idea is that wisdom begins with recognizing what we do not know.
Agur looks at the heavens, the earth, the wind, and the waters and realizes that many things exist beyond human ability to control or completely understand.
Rather than responding to this uncertainty with pride, he points toward God as the source of reliable truth.
The chapter therefore places great importance on God's word.
God's words are described as pure and trustworthy, and people are warned against adding their own claims to them.
The message is that human beings should be careful not to replace divine truth with personal assumptions.
Agur then gives a very personal prayer.
He asks for two things: to be protected from falsehood and to be given neither extreme poverty nor excessive wealth.
His request reveals an important understanding of human weakness.
Too much wealth can cause a person to become proud and forget God.
Extreme poverty can create desperation and temptation.
Agur therefore asks for enough to live faithfully without allowing either abundance or deprivation to control his character.
The chapter then turns toward human behavior.
Agur describes people who dishonor their parents, consider themselves morally clean when they are not, look down on others, and exploit the poor.
These examples show how easily pride can distort a person's understanding of himself.
A person may believe he is good while his actions reveal something very different.
Another major idea is insatiable desire.
The chapter describes things that are never satisfied and uses the leech as a vivid picture of endless appetite.
The lesson is not simply about physical hunger.
It also describes the human tendency to keep wanting more.
Without contentment, a person can continually seek additional wealth, attention, pleasure, or power without ever feeling that enough is enough.
Agur also spends considerable time observing nature.
Small creatures such as ants, rock badgers, locusts, and lizards demonstrate forms of wisdom despite their limited strength.
The ant prepares during harvest.
The rock badger finds protection in secure places.
The locust moves together without an obvious ruler.
The lizard manages to enter places that might seem inaccessible to such a small creature.
These examples suggest that wisdom is not always connected with size, strength, or status.
Sometimes the smallest creatures demonstrate habits that human beings should learn from.
The chapter also considers situations involving social disorder and unexpected changes in status.
A servant becoming a king, a fool becoming wealthy, or household relationships changing dramatically can create instability.
The point is not that people should never experience changes in position.
Rather, sudden changes in power or status can reveal weaknesses in character and create difficult consequences when people are not prepared to handle them wisely.
Toward the end, the chapter returns to the subject of strength and self-control.
The lion is presented as an example of confident strength, while kings and military forces represent organized authority.
But the final lesson is not simply about being powerful.
It is about knowing when to stop before pride turns into conflict.
The final image makes this principle especially clear.
Just as churning milk produces butter and squeezing the nose produces blood, stirring up anger naturally produces conflict.
In other words, actions have predictable consequences.
If someone continually provokes anger, conflict should not be surprising.
If someone continually feeds pride, disorder should not be surprising.
If someone continually pursues greed, dissatisfaction should not be surprising.
Proverbs 30 therefore brings together several important ideas: humility, trust in God's word, contentment, careful observation, respect for others, self-control, and awareness of consequences.
The chapter teaches that wisdom does not require knowing everything.
It requires recognizing our limitations and being willing to learn.
It also teaches that a balanced life is often better than extremes.
Enough is better than endless accumulation.
Honest confession is better than pretending to be perfect.
Preparation is better than constant reaction.
Self-control is better than uncontrolled anger.
And humility before God is better than confidence in our own understanding.
The overall message of Proverbs 30 is that true wisdom begins when people recognize their limitations, trust what God has revealed, remain content with what they have, observe the lessons found in creation, and carefully consider the consequences of their choices.
Agur's perspective is ultimately one of humility: the world is larger than human understanding, God is greater than human knowledge, and a wise person does not need to pretend otherwise.
Agur does not present himself as someone who has mastered every mystery.
Instead, he openly recognizes how limited human understanding is compared with the greatness of God.
This gives the entire chapter a reflective tone.
The central idea is that wisdom begins with recognizing what we do not know.
Agur looks at the heavens, the earth, the wind, and the waters and realizes that many things exist beyond human ability to control or completely understand.
Rather than responding to this uncertainty with pride, he points toward God as the source of reliable truth.
The chapter therefore places great importance on God's word.
God's words are described as pure and trustworthy, and people are warned against adding their own claims to them.
The message is that human beings should be careful not to replace divine truth with personal assumptions.
Agur then gives a very personal prayer.
He asks for two things: to be protected from falsehood and to be given neither extreme poverty nor excessive wealth.
His request reveals an important understanding of human weakness.
Too much wealth can cause a person to become proud and forget God.
Extreme poverty can create desperation and temptation.
Agur therefore asks for enough to live faithfully without allowing either abundance or deprivation to control his character.
The chapter then turns toward human behavior.
Agur describes people who dishonor their parents, consider themselves morally clean when they are not, look down on others, and exploit the poor.
These examples show how easily pride can distort a person's understanding of himself.
A person may believe he is good while his actions reveal something very different.
Another major idea is insatiable desire.
The chapter describes things that are never satisfied and uses the leech as a vivid picture of endless appetite.
The lesson is not simply about physical hunger.
It also describes the human tendency to keep wanting more.
Without contentment, a person can continually seek additional wealth, attention, pleasure, or power without ever feeling that enough is enough.
Agur also spends considerable time observing nature.
Small creatures such as ants, rock badgers, locusts, and lizards demonstrate forms of wisdom despite their limited strength.
The ant prepares during harvest.
The rock badger finds protection in secure places.
The locust moves together without an obvious ruler.
The lizard manages to enter places that might seem inaccessible to such a small creature.
These examples suggest that wisdom is not always connected with size, strength, or status.
Sometimes the smallest creatures demonstrate habits that human beings should learn from.
The chapter also considers situations involving social disorder and unexpected changes in status.
A servant becoming a king, a fool becoming wealthy, or household relationships changing dramatically can create instability.
The point is not that people should never experience changes in position.
Rather, sudden changes in power or status can reveal weaknesses in character and create difficult consequences when people are not prepared to handle them wisely.
Toward the end, the chapter returns to the subject of strength and self-control.
The lion is presented as an example of confident strength, while kings and military forces represent organized authority.
But the final lesson is not simply about being powerful.
It is about knowing when to stop before pride turns into conflict.
The final image makes this principle especially clear.
Just as churning milk produces butter and squeezing the nose produces blood, stirring up anger naturally produces conflict.
In other words, actions have predictable consequences.
If someone continually provokes anger, conflict should not be surprising.
If someone continually feeds pride, disorder should not be surprising.
If someone continually pursues greed, dissatisfaction should not be surprising.
Proverbs 30 therefore brings together several important ideas: humility, trust in God's word, contentment, careful observation, respect for others, self-control, and awareness of consequences.
The chapter teaches that wisdom does not require knowing everything.
It requires recognizing our limitations and being willing to learn.
It also teaches that a balanced life is often better than extremes.
Enough is better than endless accumulation.
Honest confession is better than pretending to be perfect.
Preparation is better than constant reaction.
Self-control is better than uncontrolled anger.
And humility before God is better than confidence in our own understanding.
The overall message of Proverbs 30 is that true wisdom begins when people recognize their limitations, trust what God has revealed, remain content with what they have, observe the lessons found in creation, and carefully consider the consequences of their choices.
Agur's perspective is ultimately one of humility: the world is larger than human understanding, God is greater than human knowledge, and a wise person does not need to pretend otherwise.