| English Standard Version | NET 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; an oracle: This man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal: |
| 2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have 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 into heaven, and then descended? Who has gathered up the winds in his fists? 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 his son's name?--if you know! |
| 5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | 5Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for 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 reprove you, and prove you to be a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: | 7Two things I ask from 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, | 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches, feed me with my allotted portion of bread, |
| 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 become satisfied and act deceptively and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I become poor and steal and demean 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, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. |
| 11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11There is a generation 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 who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
| 13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! | 13There is a generation whose eyes are so lofty, and whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully. |
| 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 like swords and whose molars are like knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among the human race. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: | 15The leech has two daughters: "Give! 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.” | 16the grave, the barren womb, land that is not 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. | 17The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother--the ravens of the valley will peck it out and the young vultures will eat it. |
| 18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: | 18There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not 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 in the sea, and the way of a man with a woman. |
| 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 adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have not done wrong." |
| 21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: | 21Under three things the earth trembles, and under four things it cannot bear up: |
| 22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; | 22under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who is stuffed with food, |
| 23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. | 23under an unloved woman who is married, and under a female servant who dispossesses her mistress. |
| 24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: | 24There are four things on earth that are small, but they are exceedingly wise: |
| 25the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; | 25ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; |
| 26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; | 26rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; |
| 27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; | 27locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; |
| 28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. | 28a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. |
| 29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: | 29There are three things that are magnificent in their step, four things that move about magnificently: |
| 30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; | 30a lion, mightiest of the beasts, who does not retreat from anything; |
| 31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. | 31a strutting rooster, a male 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 done foolishly by exalting yourself or if you have planned 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 produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. |
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