English Standard Version | King James 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. | 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, |
2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. |
3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. |
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 hath ascended up 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? |
5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | 5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. |
6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. | 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. |
7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: | 7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not 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, | 8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: |
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. | 9Lest 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. |
10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. | 10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. |
11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. |
12There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. | 12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. |
13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! | 13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. |
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 as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off 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 horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: |
16Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” | 16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is 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. | 17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. |
18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: | 18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: |
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 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. |
20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” | 20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. |
21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: | 21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: |
22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; | 22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; |
23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. | 23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. |
24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: | 24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: |
25the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; | 25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; |
26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; | 26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; |
27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; | 27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. | 28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. |
29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: | 29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: |
30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; | 30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; |
31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. | 31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. |
32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. | 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. |
33For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. | 33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth 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. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
|