The Words of Agur
1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement. B,x
The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: C
2 I am more stupid than any other person, D
and I lack a human’s ability to understand. y
and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. z
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? a
Who has gathered the wind in his hands?
Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? b
Who has established all the ends of the earth? c
What is his name,
and what is the name of his son—
if you know? d
5 Every word of God is pure; E,e
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. f
6 Don’t add to his words, g
or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. h
don’t deny them to me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.
Give me neither poverty nor wealth;
feed me with the food I need. i
9 Otherwise, I might have too much j
and deny you, k saying, “Who is the LORD? ” l
or I might have nothing and steal, m
profaning F the name of my God. n
10 Don’t slander a servant to his master
or he will curse you, o and you will become guilty.
11 There is a generation that curses its father
and does not bless its mother. p
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, q
yet is not washed from its filth.
13 There is a generation—how haughty its eyes
and pretentious its looks. G
14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, r
whose fangs are knives, s
devouring the oppressed from the land t
and the needy from among mankind.
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give! ”
Three things u are never satisfied;
four never say, “Enough! ”:
16 Sheol; v a childless womb; w
earth, which is never satisfied with water;
and fire, which never says, “Enough! ”
17 As for the eye that ridicules a father x
and despises obedience to a mother,
may ravens of the valley pluck it out
and young vultures eat it. y
18 Three things are too wondrous for me;
four I can’t understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship at sea,
and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 This is the way of an adulteress:
she eats and wipes her mouth
and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” z
21 The earth trembles under three things;
it cannot bear up under four:
22 a servant when he becomes king, a
a fool when he is stuffed with food,
23 an unloved woman when she marries, b
and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.
24 Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
25 ants are not a strong people,
yet they store up their food in the summer; c
26 hyraxes are not a mighty people,
yet they make their homes in the cliffs; d
yet all of them march in ranks; e
28 a lizard H can be caught in your hands,
yet it lives in kings’ palaces.
29 Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their walk:
30 a lion, which is mightiest among beasts
and doesn’t retreat before anything;
31 a strutting rooster; I a goat;
and a king at the head of his army. J
32 If you have been foolish by exalting yourself
or if you’ve been scheming,
put your hand over your mouth. f
33 For the churning of milk produces butter,
and twisting a nose draws blood,
and stirring up anger produces strife. g