English Standard Version

Berean Study Bible

1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.

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.

2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.

2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.

3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!

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!

5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

5Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

6Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.

7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:

7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:

8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,

8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

9lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

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.

10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.

11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

12There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.

12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!

13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—

14There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.

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.

15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:

15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

16Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’

17The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

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.

18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:

18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:

19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.

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.

20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”

20This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:

21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;

22a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

23an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:

24Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:

25the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer;

25The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;

26the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;

27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.

29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:

29There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:

30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;

30a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;

31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

31a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.

32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.

32If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.

33For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

33For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Berean Bible (Berean Study Bible (BSB) © 2016, 2018 by Bible Hub and Berean.Bible. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved.