Prov 30:1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an oracle:
This man declared to Ithiel,
to Ithiel and to Ucal:
Prov 30:2 “I am the most ignorant of men;
I do not have a man’s understanding.
Prov 30:3 I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.
Prov 30:4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?
Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and the name of his son?
Tell me if you know!
Prov 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Prov 30:6 Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Prov 30:7 “Two things I ask of you, O LORD;
do not refuse me before I die:
Prov 30:8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
Prov 30:9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
Here are the ‘two things’ (v7) for which Agur pleaded. The requests are brief, but meaningful. They are in their proper order: first the spiritual need, then the physical. Our prayers need to be appropriate, James 4:3, helped by the Holy Spirit, and agreeable to the will of God, Rom 8:26f. Keep falsehood and lies far from me – for these summarise the attitude of the world, 1 Jn 2:16. Give me…my daily bread – Cf. Mt 6:11. The distribution of the manna was life this: not too little, and not too much, Ex 16:18.But let Christian self-denial, not worldly greed, be the standard of our desire. Paul had ‘learned’ to be content in whatever outward condition he found himself in, Phil 4:11f.’Many pray Agur’s first prayer, ‘Give me not poverty,’ but few pray his last prayer, ‘Give me not riches.” (Thomas Watson)
Prov 30:10 “Do not slander a servant to his master,
or he will curse you, and you will pay for it.
Prov 30:11 “There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
Prov 30:12 those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
Prov 30:13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
whose glances are so disdainful;
Prov 30:14 those whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth,
the needy from among mankind.
Prov 30:15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
Prov 30:16 the grave, the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
Prov 30:17 “The eye that mocks a father,
that scorns obedience to a mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.
Prov 30:18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
Prov 30:19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a maiden.
Prov 30:20 “This is the way of an adulteress:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
Prov 30:21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
Prov 30:22 a servant who becomes king,
a fool who is full of food,
Prov 30:23 an unloved woman who is married,
and a maidservant who displaces her mistress.
Prov 30:24 “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
Prov 30:25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
Prov 30:26 coneys are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
Prov 30:27 locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
Prov 30:28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
Prov 30:29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
Prov 30:30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
Prov 30:31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king with his army around him.
Prov 30:32 “If you have played the fool and exalted yourself,
or if you have planned evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
Prov 30:33 For as churning the milk produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”