1 Palavras de Agur, filho de Jaque, de Massá.

Disse o homem: Fatiguei-me, ó Deus;

fatiguei-me, ó Deus, e estou exausto

2 porque sou demasiadamente estúpido para ser homem;

não tenho inteligência de homem,

3 não aprendi a sabedoria,

nem tenho o conhecimento do Santo.

4 Quem subiu ao céu e desceu?

Quem encerrou os ventos nos seus punhos?

Quem amarrou as águas na sua roupa?

Quem estabeleceu todas as extremidades da terra?

Qual é o seu nome, e qual é o nome de seu filho,

se é que o sabes?

5 Toda palavra de Deus é pura;

ele é escudo para os que nele confiam.

6 Nada acrescentes às suas palavras,

para que não te repreenda, e sejas achado mentiroso.

7 Duas coisas te peço;

não mas negues, antes que eu morra:

8 afasta de mim a falsidade e a mentira;

não me dês nem a pobreza nem a riqueza;

dá-me o pão que me for necessário;

9 para não suceder que, estando eu farto, te negue

e diga: Quem é o Senhor?

Ou que, empobrecido, venha a furtar

e profane o nome de Deus.

10 Não calunies o servo diante de seu senhor,

para que aquele te não amaldiçoe e fiques culpado.

11 Há daqueles que amaldiçoam a seu pai

e que não bendizem a sua mãe.

12 Há daqueles que são puros aos próprios olhos

e que jamais foram lavados da sua imundícia.

13 Há daqueles — quão altivos são os seus olhos

e levantadas as suas pálpebras!

14 Há daqueles cujos dentes são espadas,

e cujos queixais são facas,

para consumirem na terra os aflitos

e os necessitados entre os homens.

15 A sanguessuga tem duas filhas,

a saber: Dá, Dá.

Há três coisas que nunca se fartam,

sim, quatro que não dizem: Basta!

16 Elas são a sepultura, a madre estéril,

a terra, que se não farta de água,

e o fogo, que nunca diz: Basta!

17 Os olhos de quem zomba do pai

ou de quem despreza a obediência à sua mãe,

corvos no ribeiro os arrancarão

e pelos pintãos da águia serão comidos.

18 Há três coisas que são maravilhosas demais para mim,

sim, há quatro que não entendo:

19 o caminho da águia no céu,

o caminho da cobra na penha,

o caminho do navio no meio do mar

e o caminho do homem com uma donzela.

20 Tal é o caminho da mulher adúltera:

come, e limpa a boca,

e diz: Não cometi maldade.

21 Sob três coisas estremece a terra,

sim, sob quatro não pode subsistir:

22 sob o servo quando se torna rei;

sob o insensato quando anda farto de pão;

23 sob a mulher desdenhada quando se casa;

sob a serva quando se torna herdeira da sua senhora.

24 Há quatro coisas mui pequenas na terra

que, porém, são mais sábias que os sábios:

25 as formigas, povo sem força;

todavia, no verão preparam a sua comida;

26 os arganazes, povo não poderoso;

contudo, fazem a sua casa nas rochas;

27 os gafanhotos não têm rei;

contudo, marcham todos em bandos;

28 o geco, que se apanha com as mãos;

contudo, está nos palácios dos reis.

29 Há três que têm passo elegante,

sim, quatro que andam airosamente:

30 O leão, o mais forte entre os animais,

que por ninguém torna atrás;

31 o galo, que anda ereto, o bode

e o rei, a quem não se pode resistir.

32 Se procedeste insensatamente em te exaltares

ou se maquinaste o mal,

põe a mão na boca.

33 Porque o bater do leite produz manteiga,

e o torcer do nariz produz sangue,

e o açular a ira produz contendas.

1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; The oracle.

The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:

2 Surely I am more brutish than any man,

And have not the understanding of a man;

3 And I have not learned wisdom,

Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended?

Who hath gathered the wind in his fists?

Who hath bound the waters in his garment?

Who hath established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest?

5 Every word of God is tried:

He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.

6 Add thou not unto his words,

Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 Two things have I asked of thee;

Deny me them not before I die:

8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies;

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is needful for me:

9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah?

Or lest I be poor, and steal,

And use profanely the name of my God.

10 Slander not a servant unto his master,

Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

11 There is a generation that curse their father,

And bless not their mother.

12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,

And yet are not washed from their 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 as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives,

To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give.

There are three things that are never satisfied,

Yea, four that say not, Enough:

16 Sheol; and the barren womb;

The earth that is not satisfied with water;

And the fire that saith not, Enough.

17 The eye that mocketh at his father,

And despiseth to obey his mother,

The ravens of the valley shall pick it out,

And the young eagles shall eat it.

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Yea, four which I know not:

19 The way of an eagle in the air;

The way of a serpent upon a rock;

The way of a ship in the midst of the sea;

And the way of a man with a maiden.

20 So is the way of an adulterous woman;

She eateth, and wipeth her mouth,

And saith, I have done no wickedness.

21 For three things the earth doth tremble,

And for four, which it cannot bear:

22 For a servant when he is king;

And a fool when he is filled with food;

23 For an odious woman when she is married;

And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24 There are four things which are little upon the earth,

But they are exceeding wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong,

Yet they provide their food in the summer;

26 The conies are but a feeble folk,

Yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king,

Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28 The lizard taketh hold with her hands,

Yet is she in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things which are stately in their march,

Yea, four which are stately in going:

30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts,

And turneth not away for any;

31 The greyhound; the he-goat also;

And the king against whom there is no rising up.

32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,

Or if thou hast thought evil,

Lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,

And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood;

So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh —an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail. [^1]

2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.

3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!

5 "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

7 "Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:

8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

9 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.

10 "Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

11 "There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;

12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;

14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind.

15 "The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!':

16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'

17 "The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

18 "There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:

19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 "This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'

21 "Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

22 a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,

23 a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.

24 "Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

26 hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;

27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;

28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.

29 "There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:

30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. [^2]

32 "If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth!

33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife."