Chapter
Verse

Proverbs 30:9

ESV lest I be full and deny you and say, "Who is the Lord?" or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.
NIV 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.
NASB So that I will not be full and deny You and say, 'Who is the Lord?' And that I will not become impoverished and steal, And profane the name of my God.
CSB Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, "Who is the Lord?" or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.
NLT For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
KJV Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
NKJV Lest I be full and deny You, And say, “Who is the Lord?” Or lest I be poor and steal, And profane the name of my God.

What does Proverbs 30:9 mean?

Agur (Proverbs 30:1) has prayed for two things from God (Proverbs 30:7). Broadly interpreted, these imply God's material and spiritual provision (Proverbs 30:8). God's hatred for deceptive attitudes explains the desire to be honest (Proverbs 12:22). Avoiding both poverty and extreme wealth are tied to the unique temptations of those conditions.

Of course, many wealthy people have chosen to follow Jesus, and have used their wealth for His glory. Yet the rich can also become smug and feel self-sufficient. Being able to solve many problems with money makes a person feel more in control than they really are. Surrounded by possessions, he might see no need of God, and he might credit his own strength and wisdom as the sole reason for his success. Jesus told the story of a rich man who anticipated a lavish lifestyle for his future years. Instead, God called him a fool and noted the man's life was destined to end the very night he was boasting (Luke 12:16–21). In another example, a rich man rejected following Christ because he put more importance on being wealthy (Luke 18:22–23). Jesus commented on the spiritual numbness caused by money (Luke 18:24–25).

Poverty creates its own, more obvious temptations. Among those are the temptation to steal or lie to improve one's lifestyle.
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