1 | The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spoke to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal, |
2 | Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. |
3 | I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. |
4 | Who hath ascended 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? |
5 | Every word of God is pure: he is a shield to them that put their trust in him. |
6 | Add thou not to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. |
7 | Two things have I required of thee; deny them not to me before I die: |
8 | Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: |
9 | 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. |
10 | Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found 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, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
13 | There is a generation, O 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 horse-leech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yes, four things say not, It is enough: |
16 | The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. |
17 | The eye that mocketh at its father, and despiseth to obey its 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, yes, 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 maid. |
20 | Such 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 is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: |
22 | For a servant when he reigneth; 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 very wise: |
25 | The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer; |
26 | The conies are but a feeble people, yet they make their houses in the rocks; |
27 | The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
28 | The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in king's palaces. |
29 | There are three things which go well, yes, four are comely in going: |
30 | A lion, which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; |
31 | A greyhound; a he-goat also; and a 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 | 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. |