| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out. | 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. |
| 2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. | 2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. |
| 4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His 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! | 4Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! |
| 5Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. | 5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. |
| 6Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die: | 7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. |
| 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. | 8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
| 9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. | 9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. |
| 10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. | 10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| 11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. |
| 12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. | 12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. |
| 13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— | 13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. |
| 14there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. | 14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: | 15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”: |
| 16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ | 16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. |
| 17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it. | 17The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. |
| 18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: | 18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand: |
| 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden. | 19how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman. |
| 20This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ | 20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” |
| 21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: | 21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure: |
| 22a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, | 22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, |
| 23an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress. | 23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. |
| 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: | 24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: |
| 25The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; | 25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. |
| 26the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; | 26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. |
| 27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; | 27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. |
| 28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. | 28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. |
| 29There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: | 29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about: |
| 30a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything; | 30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, |
| 31a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him. | 31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. |
| 32If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. | 32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. |
| 33For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.” | 33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. |
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