English Standard Version

Hebrew 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.

1דִּבְרֵ֤י ׀ אָג֥וּר בִּן־ יָקֶ֗ה הַמַּ֫שָּׂ֥א נְאֻ֣ם הַ֭גֶּבֶר לְאִֽיתִיאֵ֑ל לְאִ֖יתִיאֵ֣ל וְאֻכָֽל׃

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

2כִּ֤י בַ֣עַר אָנֹכִ֣י מֵאִ֑ישׁ וְלֹֽא־ בִינַ֖ת אָדָ֣ם לִֽי׃

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

3וְלֹֽא־ לָמַ֥דְתִּי חָכְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים אֵדָֽע׃

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!

4מִ֤י עָלָֽה־ שָׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וַיֵּרַ֡ד מִ֤י אָֽסַף־ ר֨וּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָ֡יו מִ֤י צָֽרַר־ מַ֨יִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָ֗ה מִ֭י הֵקִ֣ים כָּל־ אַפְסֵי־ אָ֑רֶץ מַה־ שְּׁמ֥וֹ וּמַֽה־ שֶּׁם־ בְּ֝נ֗וֹ כִּ֣י תֵדָֽע׃

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

5כָּל־ אִמְרַ֣ת אֱל֣וֹהַּ צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לַֽחֹסִ֥ים בּֽוֹ׃

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

6אַל־ תּ֥וֹסְףְּ עַל־ דְּבָרָ֑יו פֶּן־ יוֹכִ֖יחַ בְּךָ֣ וְנִכְזָֽבְתָּ׃ פ

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

7שְׁ֭תַּיִם שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵאִתָּ֑ךְ אַל־ תִּמְנַ֥ע מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי בְּטֶ֣רֶם אָמֽוּת׃

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

8שָׁ֤וְא ׀ וּֽדְבַר־ כָּזָ֡ב הַרְחֵ֬ק מִמֶּ֗נִּי רֵ֣אשׁ וָ֭עֹשֶׁר אַל־ תִּֽתֶּן־ לִ֑י הַ֝טְרִיפֵ֗נִי לֶ֣חֶם חֻקִּֽי׃

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.

9פֶּ֥ן אֶשְׂבַּ֨ע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי֮ וְאָמַ֗רְתִּי מִ֥י יְה֫וָ֥ה וּפֶֽן־ אִוָּרֵ֥שׁ וְגָנַ֑בְתִּי וְ֝תָפַ֗שְׂתִּי שֵׁ֣ם אֱלֹהָֽי׃ פ

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

10אַל־ תַּלְשֵׁ֣ן עֶ֭בֶד אֶל־ [אדנו] (אֲדֹנָ֑יו) פֶּֽן־ יְקַלֶּלְךָ֥ וְאָשָֽׁמְתָּ׃

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

11דּ֭וֹר אָבִ֣יו יְקַלֵּ֑ל וְאֶת־ אִ֝מּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

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

12דּ֭וֹר טָה֣וֹר בְּעֵינָ֑יו וּ֝מִצֹּאָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רֻחָֽץ׃

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

13דּ֭וֹר מָה־ רָמ֣וּ עֵינָ֑יו וְ֝עַפְעַפָּ֗יו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃

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

14דּ֤וֹר ׀ חֲרָב֣וֹת שִׁנָּיו֮ וּֽמַאֲכָל֪וֹת מְֽתַלְּעֹ֫תָ֥יו לֶאֱכֹ֣ל עֲנִיִּ֣ים מֵאֶ֑רֶץ וְ֝אֶבְיוֹנִ֗ים מֵאָדָֽם׃ פ

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

15לַֽעֲלוּקָ֨ה ׀ שְׁתֵּ֥י בָנוֹת֮ הַ֤ב ׀ הַ֥ב שָׁל֣וֹשׁ הֵ֭נָּה לֹ֣א תִשְׂבַּ֑עְנָה אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־ אָ֥מְרוּ הֽוֹן׃

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

16שְׁאוֹל֮ וְעֹ֪צֶ֫ר רָ֥חַם אֶ֭רֶץ לֹא־ שָׂ֣בְעָה מַּ֑יִם וְ֝אֵ֗שׁ לֹא־ אָ֥מְרָה הֽוֹן׃

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.

17עַ֤יִן ׀ תִּֽלְעַ֣ג לְאָב֮ וְתָב֪וּז לִֽיקֲּהַ֫ת־ אֵ֥ם יִקְּר֥וּהָ עֹרְבֵי־ נַ֑חַל וְֽיֹאכְל֥וּהָ בְנֵי־ נָֽשֶׁר׃ פ

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

18שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה נִפְלְא֣וּ מִמֶּ֑נִּי [וארבע] (וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה) לֹ֣א יְדַעְתִּֽים׃

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.

19דֶּ֤רֶךְ הַנֶּ֨שֶׁר ׀ בַּשָּׁמַיִם֮ דֶּ֥רֶךְ נָחָ֗שׁ עֲלֵ֫י צ֥וּר דֶּֽרֶךְ־ אֳנִיָּ֥ה בְלֶב־ יָ֑ם וְדֶ֖רֶךְ גֶּ֣בֶר בְּעַלְמָֽה׃

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

20כֵּ֤ן ׀ דֶּ֥רֶךְ אִשָּׁ֗ה מְנָ֫אָ֥פֶת אָ֭כְלָה וּמָ֣חֲתָה פִ֑יהָ וְ֝אָמְרָ֗ה לֹֽא־ פָעַ֥לְתִּי אָֽוֶן׃ פ

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

21תַּ֣חַת שָׁ֭לוֹשׁ רָ֣גְזָה אֶ֑רֶץ וְתַ֥חַת אַ֝רְבַּ֗ע לֹא־ תוּכַ֥ל שְׂאֵֽת׃

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

22תַּֽחַת־ עֶ֭בֶד כִּ֣י יִמְל֑וֹךְ וְ֝נָבָ֗ל כִּ֣י יִֽשְׂבַּֽע־ לָֽחֶם׃

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

23תַּ֣חַת שְׂ֭נוּאָה כִּ֣י תִבָּעֵ֑ל וְ֝שִׁפְחָ֗ה כִּֽי־ תִירַ֥שׁ גְּבִרְתָּֽהּ׃ פ

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

24אַרְבָּ֣עָה הֵ֭ם קְטַנֵּי־ אָ֑רֶץ וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃

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

25הַ֭נְּמָלִים עַ֣ם לֹא־ עָ֑ז וַיָּכִ֖ינוּ בַקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָֽם׃

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

26שְׁ֭פַנִּים עַ֣ם לֹא־ עָצ֑וּם וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ בַסֶּ֣לַע בֵּיתָֽם׃

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

27מֶ֭לֶךְ אֵ֣ין לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֖א חֹצֵ֣ץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

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

28שְׂ֭מָמִית בְּיָדַ֣יִם תְּתַפֵּ֑שׂ וְ֝הִ֗יא בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃ פ

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

29שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה מֵיטִ֣יבֵי צָ֑עַד וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה מֵיטִ֥בֵי לָֽכֶת׃

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

30לַ֭יִשׁ גִּבּ֣וֹר בַּבְּהֵמָ֑ה וְלֹא־ יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־ כֹֽל׃

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

31זַרְזִ֣יר מָתְנַ֣יִם אוֹ־ תָ֑יִשׁ וּ֝מֶ֗לֶךְ אַלְק֥וּם עִמּֽוֹ׃

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

32אִם־ נָבַ֥לְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂ֑א וְאִם־ זַ֝מּ֗וֹתָ יָ֣ד לְפֶֽה׃

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

33כִּ֤י מִ֪יץ חָלָ֡ב י֘וֹצִ֤יא חֶמְאָ֗ה וּֽמִיץ־ אַ֭ף י֣וֹצִיא דָ֑ם וּמִ֥יץ אַ֝פַּ֗יִם י֣וֹצִיא רִֽיב׃ פ

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.

Greek and Hebrew Study Bible courtesy Bible Hub and the Discovery Bible team.