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Proverbs 30:15-31:9
English Standard Version
Proverbs 30:15-31:9
English Standard Version
15 The leech has two daughters:
Give and Give.[a]
(A)Three things are never satisfied;
(B)four never say, “Enough”:
16 (C)Sheol, (D)the barren womb,
the land never satisfied with water,
and the fire that never says, “Enough.”
17 The eye that (E)mocks a father
and (F)scorns to obey a mother
will (G)be picked out by (H)the ravens of the valley
and eaten by the vultures.
18 (I)Three things are (J)too wonderful for me;
(K)four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
and the way of a man with a virgin.
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I have done no wrong.”
21 Under (L)three things (M)the earth trembles;
under (N)four it cannot bear up:
22 (O)a slave when he becomes king,
and a fool when he is (P)filled with food;
23 (Q)an unloved woman when she (R)gets a husband,
and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
24 (S)Four things on earth are small,
but they are exceedingly wise:
25 (T)the ants are a people not strong,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 (U)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
27 the locusts have no (V)king,
yet all of them march in (W)rank;
28 the lizard you can take in your hands,
yet it is in kings' palaces.
29 (X)Three things are stately in their tread;
(Y)four are stately in their stride:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and (Z)does not turn back before any;
31 the (AA)strutting rooster,[b] the he-goat,
and a king whose army is with him.[c]
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
or if you have been devising evil,
(AB)put your hand on your mouth.
33 For pressing milk produces curds,
pressing the nose produces blood,
and pressing anger produces strife.
The Words of King Lemuel
31 The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:
2 What are you doing, my son?[d] What are you doing, (AC)son of my womb?
What are you doing, (AD)son of my vows?
3 Do (AE)not give your strength to women,
your ways to those (AF)who destroy kings.
4 (AG)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
it is not for kings (AH)to drink wine,
or for rulers to take (AI)strong drink,
5 lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
and (AJ)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink to the one who (AK)is perishing,
and wine to (AL)those in bitter distress;[e]
7 (AM)let them drink and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
8 (AN)Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.[f]
9 Open your mouth, (AO)judge righteously,
(AP)defend the rights of (AQ)the poor and needy.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:15 Or “Give, give,” they cry
- Proverbs 30:31 Or the magpie, or the greyhound; Hebrew girt-of-loins
- Proverbs 30:31 Or against whom there is no rising up
- Proverbs 31:2 Hebrew What, my son?
- Proverbs 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul
- Proverbs 31:8 Hebrew are sons of passing away
Proverbs 30:15-31:9
New International Version
Proverbs 30:15-31:9
New International Version
15 “The leech has two daughters.
‘Give! Give!’ they cry.
“There are three things that are never satisfied,(A)
four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 the grave,(B) the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
17 “The eye that mocks(C) a father,
that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
will be eaten by the vultures.(D)
18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
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 young woman.
20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’(E)
21 “Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king,(F)
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
23 a contemptible woman who gets married,
and a servant who displaces her mistress.
24 “Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;(G)
26 hyraxes(H) are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
27 locusts(I) have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt.[a]
32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!(J)
33 For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife.”
Sayings of King Lemuel
31 The sayings(K) of King Lemuel—an inspired utterance his mother taught him.
2 Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb!
Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!(L)
3 Do not spend your strength[b] on women,
your vigor on those who ruin kings.(M)
4 It is not for kings, Lemuel—
it is not for kings to drink wine,(N)
not for rulers to crave beer,
5 lest they drink(O) and forget what has been decreed,(P)
and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
6 Let beer be for those who are perishing,
wine(Q) for those who are in anguish!
7 Let them drink(R) and forget their poverty
and remember their misery no more.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
- Proverbs 31:3 Or wealth
Proverbs 30:15-31:9
King James Version
Proverbs 30:15-31:9
King James Version
15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
31 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.
2 What, my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows?
3 Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.
4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink:
5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.
6 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.
7 Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.
8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.