Proverbs

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation:the man says to Ithiel,to Ithiel and Ucal:

2“Surely I am the most ignorant man,and don’t have a man’s understanding.

3I have not learnt wisdom,neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

5“Every word of God is flawless.He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6Don’t you add to his words,lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

7“Two things I have asked of you.Don’t deny me before I die.

8Remove far from me falsehood and lies.Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.

10“Don’t slander a servant to his master,lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

11There is a generation that curses their father,and doesn’t bless their mother.

12There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,yet are not washed from their filthiness.

13There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes!Their eyelids are lifted up.

14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from amongst men.

15“The leech has two daughters:‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied;four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:

16Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’

17“The eye that mocks at his father,and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

18“There are three things which are too amazing for me,four which I don’t understand:

19The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

20“So is the way of an adulterous woman:She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21“For three things the earth trembles,and under four, it can’t bear up:

22For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,

23for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.

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

25The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

26The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

28You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29“There are three things which are stately in their march,four which are stately in going:

30The lion, which is mightiest amongst animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

31the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

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

33For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”

1Lời của ông A-gua là con ông Gia-ke, người Ma-xa. Ông A-gua tuyên sấm như sau với ông I-thi-ên, với ông I-thi-ên và ông U-khan :

2không có chút thông minh của con người.

3không hiểu biết chi về Đấng Thánh.

4Hẳn con đã biết.

5Người là khiên thuẫn cho ai tìm ẩn náu nơi Người.

6kẻo bị Người quở trách, và con thành kẻ nói dối nói gian.

7Ngài đừng nỡ chối từ trước khi con nhắm mắt :

8chỉ xin cho con cơm bánh cần dùng,

9làm ô danh Thiên Chúa của con.

10kẻo nó nguyền rủa con và con phải chịu tội.

11và không cầu phúc cho mẹ.

12dù chưa được gột rửa khỏi vết nhơ.

13đưa cái nhìn ngạo mạn.

14gạt họ ra khỏi đất nước, khỏi loài người.

15và bốn chuyện không bao giờ nói : “Đủ rồi !”

16và lửa không bao giờ nói : “Đủ rồi !”

17sẽ bị quạ ở lũng sâu móc mắt, và bị loài diều hâu rỉa thịt.

18và bốn chuyện tôi không sao hiểu nổi,

19và đường của chàng thanh niên tìm đến cô thiếu nữ.

20cô ả ăn xong, chùi miệng và nói : “Em có làm điều gì xấu đâu !”

21và bốn chuyện nó không sao chịu nổi :

22kẻ ngu được dư thừa cơm bánh,

23đứa nữ tỳ hưởng sản nghiệp bà chủ.

24nhưng rất mực khôn ngoan :

25nhưng mới mùa hè đã biết chuẩn bị thức ăn.

26nhưng lại biết làm nhà nơi hốc đá.

27thế mà vẫn di chuyển theo hàng ngũ.

28nhưng nó sống cả nơi đền đài vua chúa.

29và bốn loài có dáng dấp oai phong :

30và không chịu lùi bước trước bất cứ loài nào,

31và ông vua điều khiển quân binh.

32khi nghĩ lại, con hãy đặt tay lên miệng.

33và chọc giận sẽ sinh chuyện đôi co.