1 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
2 For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5 Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7 I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
8 Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
9 For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10 Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11 There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12 There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14 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.
15 The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough.
17 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.
18 There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19 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.
20 This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 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.
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, {even} unto Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Truly *I* am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.
3 I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.
4 Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? 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 pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things do I ask of thee; deny me {them} not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:
9 lest I be full and deny {thee}, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.
10 Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;
12 there is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness;
13 there is a generation, -how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!
14 -a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from {among} men.
15 The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three {things} never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:
16 -Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.
17 The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 There are three {things} too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the heavens, 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 maid.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 Under three {things} the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:
22 Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;
23 under an odious {woman} when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.
24 There are four {things} little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:
25 The ants, a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;
27 the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;
28 thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.
29 There are three {things} which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:
30 The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;
31 a {horse} girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, {lay} the hand upon thy mouth.
33 For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.