| 1 | The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel--to Ithiel and Ucal: | |
| 2 | Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. | |
| 3 | I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. | |
| 4 | Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in a 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 pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. | |
| 6 | Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. | |
| 7 | Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): | |
| 8 | Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches--Feed me with the food allotted to me; | |
| 9 | 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. | |
| 10 | Do not malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. | |
| 11 | There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. | |
| 12 | There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. | |
| 13 | There is a generation--oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. | |
| 14 | There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men. | |
| 15 | The leech has two daughters--Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, "Enough!": | |
| 16 | The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water--And the fire never says, "Enough!" | |
| 17 | The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. | |
| 18 | There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: | |
| 19 | The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin. | |
| 20 | This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, "I have done no wickedness." | |
| 21 | For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up: | |
| 22 | For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food, | |
| 23 | A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. | |
| 24 | There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: | |
| 25 | The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; | |
| 26 | The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; | |
| 27 | The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; | |
| 28 | The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings' palaces. | |
| 29 | There are three things which are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk: | |
| 30 | A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any; | |
| 31 | A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him. | |
| 32 | If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. | |
| 33 | For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife. | |