The Words of Agur

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the pronouncement.

The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2I am certainly more stupid than any man,

And I do not have the understanding of a man;

3Nor have I learned wisdom,

Nor do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended into heaven and descended?

Who has gathered the wind in His fists?

Who has wrapped the waters in [a]His garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is His name or His [b]Son’s name?

Surely you know!

5Every word of God is [c]pure;

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6Do not add to His words

Or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

7Two things I have asked of You;

Do not refuse me before I die:

8Keep deception and [d]lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the food that is my portion,

9So that I will not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the LORD?”

And that I will not become impoverished and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

10Do not slander a slave to his master,

Or he will curse you and you will be found guilty.

11There is a [e]kind of person who curses his father

And does not bless his mother.

12There is a [f]kind who is pure in his own eyes,

Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

13There is a [g]kind—oh how lofty are his eyes!

And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

14There is a [h]kind of person whose teeth are like swords

And his jaw teeth like knives,

To devour the poor from the earth

And the needy from among mankind.

15The leech has two daughters:

“Give” and “Give.”

There are three things that will not be satisfied,

Four that will not say, “Enough”:

16[i]Sheol, the infertile womb,

Earth that is never satisfied with water,

And fire that never says, “Enough.”

17The eye that mocks a father

And [j]scorns a mother,

The ravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young eagles will eat it.

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

Four which I do not understand:

19The way of the eagle in the sky,

The way of a snake on a rock,

The way of a ship in the middle of the sea,

And the way of a man with a [k]virgin.

20This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wrong.”

21Under three things the earth quakes,

And under four, it cannot endure:

22Under a slave when he becomes king,

And a fool when he is satisfied with food,

23Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,

And a female servant when she dispossesses her mistress.

24Four things are small on the earth,

But they are exceedingly wise:

25The ants are not a strong people,

But they prepare their food in the summer;

26The rock hyraxes are not a mighty people,

Yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27The locusts have no king,

Yet all of them go out in ranks;

28The lizard you may grasp with the hands,

Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

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

Even four which are stately when they walk:

30The lion, which is mighty among animals

And does not [l]retreat from anything,

31The [m]strutting rooster or the male goat,

And a king when his army is with him.

32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,

Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.

33For the [n]churning of milk produces butter,

And pressing the nose produces blood;

So the [o]churning of anger produces strife.