Agur's words
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh — an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: I am weary, God, but I can prevail. Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. 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. Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God. Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. The leech has two daughters. Give. Give, they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, Enough. the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, Enough. 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. There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 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. This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I've done nothing wrong. Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth. For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.
The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh — an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: I am weary, God, but I can prevail.
The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
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.
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die:
Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, Who is the Lord? Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonour the name of my God.
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
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.
The leech has two daughters. Give. Give, they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, Enough.
The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, Enough.
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
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.
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.
There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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.
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 maid.
This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I've done nothing wrong.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.
For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:
There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth.
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.