Proverbs 30:12-1964 bbe — There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways. There is…

Proverbs 30:12-1964 in the Bible in Basic English reads: “There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways. There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up! There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men. The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough: The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles. There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl. This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong. For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with: A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased; A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife. There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise: The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer; The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands; You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses. There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair: The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any; The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him. If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth. The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.”

Proverbs 30:12-1964 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of Proverbs, chapter 30, verses 12–1964.

Proverbs is traditionally attributed to Solomon (primarily), with sections by Agur and Lemuel. It was written c. 970–700 BC.

Proverbs is practical wisdom for everyday life — short, vivid sayings on speech, work, money, friendship, sex, parenting, and the fear of the LORD. It teaches that wisdom is not mere cleverness but a way of walking with God in a complicated world.

Proverbs explores themes including Wisdom, Folly, Fear of the LORD, Discipline, Speech, Diligence. These themes shape the meaning and context of Proverbs 30:12-1964.

Proverbs 30:12-1964 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.

Proverbs 30:12-1964 reads (BBE): “There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways. There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up! There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men. The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough: The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles. There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a snake on a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a girl. This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong. For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with: A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased; A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife. There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise: The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer; The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks; The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands; You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses. There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair: The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any; The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him. If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth. The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.