Proverbs 29:22-30:17

English Standard Version

The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.^[b]
2 Surely I am too ^(J)stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of ^(K)the Holy One.
⁴ Who has ^(L)ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has ^(M)gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has ^(N)wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all ^(O)the ends of the earth?
^(P)What is his name, and what is his son's name?
    Surely you know!

^5 (Q)Every word of God proves true;
    he is ^(R)a shield to those who take refuge in him.
^6 (S)Do not add to his words,
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
    deny them not to me ^(T)before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is ^(U)needful for me,
⁹ lest I be ^(V)full and ^(W)deny you
    and say, ^(X)“Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
    ^(Y)and profane the name of my God.

^10 (Z)Do not slander a servant to his master,
    ^(AA)lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

¹¹ There are those^[c] who ^(AB)curse their fathers
    and do not bless their mothers.
¹² There are those who are ^(AC)clean in their own eyes
    but are not washed of their filth.
¹³ There are those—how ^(AD)lofty are their eyes,
    how high their eyelids lift!
¹⁴ There are those whose teeth are ^(AE)swords,
    whose ^(AF)fangs are knives,
to ^(AG)devour the poor from off the earth,
    the needy from among mankind.

¹⁵ The leech has two daughters:
    Give and Give.^[d]
(AH)Three things are never satisfied;
    ^(AI)four never say, “Enough”:
^16 (AJ)Sheol, ^(AK)the barren womb,
    the land never satisfied with water,
    and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

¹⁷ The eye that ^(AL)mocks a father
    and ^(AM)scorns to obey a mother
will ^(AN)be picked out by ^(AO)the ravens of the valley
    and eaten by the vultures.