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."

1 Verba Congregantis, filii Vomentis. Visio quam locutus est vir cum quo est Deus, et qui Deo secum morante confortatus, ait : 2 [Stultissimus sum virorum,et sapientia hominum non est mecum.3 Non didici sapientiam,et non novi scientiam sanctorum.4 Quis ascendit in clum, atque descendit ?quis continuit spiritum in manibus suis ?quis colligavit aquas quasi in vestimento ?quis suscitavit omnes terminos terr ?quod nomen est ejus, et quod nomen filii ejus, si nosti ?5 Omnis sermo Dei ignitus :clypeus est sperantibus in se.6 Ne addas quidquam verbis illius,et arguaris, inveniarisque mendax.7 Duo rogavi te :ne deneges mihi antequam moriar :8 vanitatem et verba mendacia longe fac a me ;mendicitatem et divitias ne dederis mihi :tribue tantum victui meo necessaria,9 ne forte satiatus illiciar ad negandum,et dicam : Quis est Dominus ?aut egestate compulsus, furer,et perjurem nomen Dei mei.10 Ne accuses servum ad dominum suum,ne forte maledicat tibi, et corruas.]11 [Generatio qu patri suo maledicit,et qu matri su non benedicit ;12 generatio qu sibi munda videtur,et tamen non est lota a sordibus suis ;13 generatio cujus excelsi sunt oculi,et palpebr ejus in alta surrect ;14 generatio qu pro dentibus gladios habet,et commandit molaribus suis,ut comedat inopes de terra,et pauperes ex hominibus.15 Sanguisug du sunt fili,dicentes : Affer, affer.Tria sunt insaturabilia,et quartum quod numquam dicit : Sufficit.16 Infernus, et os vulv,et terra qu non satiatur aqua :ignis vero numquam dicit : Sufficit.17 Oculum qui subsannat patrem,et qui despicit partum matris su,effodiant eum corvi de torrentibus,et comedant eum filii aquil !]18 [Tria sunt difficilia mihi,et quartum penitus ignoro :19 viam aquil in clo,viam colubri super petram,viam navis in medio mari,et viam viri in adolescentia.20 Talis est et via mulieris adulter,qu comedit, et tergens os suumdicit : Non sum operata malum.21 Per tria movetur terra,et quartum non potest sustinere :22 per servum, cum regnaverit ;per stultum, cum saturatus fuerit cibo ;23 per odiosam mulierem, cum in matrimonio fuerit assumpta ;et per ancillam, cum fuerit hres domin su.]24 [Quatuor sunt minima terr,et ipsa sunt sapientiora sapientibus :25 formic, populus infirmus,qui prparat in messe cibum sibi ;26 lepusculus, plebs invalida,qui collocat in petra cubile suum ;27 regem locusta non habet,et egreditur universa per turmas suas ;28 stellio manibus nititur,et moratur in dibus regis.29 Tria sunt qu bene gradiuntur,et quartum quod incedit feliciter :30 leo, fortissimus bestiarum,ad nullius pavebit occursum ;31 gallus succinctus lumbos ;et aries ; nec est rex, qui resistat ei.32 Est qui stultus apparuit postquam elevatus est in sublime ;si enim intellexisset, ori suo imposuisset manum.33 Qui autem fortiter premit ubera ad eliciendum lac exprimit butyrum ;et qui vehementer emungit elicit sanguinem ;et qui provocat iras producit discordias.]