Holman Christian Standard Bible

Hebrew Study Bible

1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

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

2I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man's ability to understand.

2כִּ֤י בַ֣עַר אָנֹכִ֣י מֵאִ֑ישׁ וְלֹֽא־ בִינַ֖ת אָדָ֣ם לִֽי׃

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

3וְלֹֽא־ לָמַ֥דְתִּי חָכְמָ֑ה וְדַ֖עַת קְדֹשִׁ֣ים אֵדָֽע׃

4Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son-- if 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 is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

5כָּל־ אִמְרַ֣ת אֱל֣וֹהַּ צְרוּפָ֑ה מָגֵ֥ן ה֝֗וּא לַֽחֹסִ֥ים בּֽוֹ׃

6Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.

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

7Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die:

7שְׁ֭תַּיִם שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵאִתָּ֑ךְ אַל־ תִּמְנַ֥ע מִ֝מֶּ֗נִּי בְּטֶ֣רֶם אָמֽוּת׃

8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.

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

9Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, "Who is the LORD?" or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God.

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

10Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty.

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

11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.

11דּ֭וֹר אָבִ֣יו יְקַלֵּ֑ל וְאֶת־ אִ֝מּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א יְבָרֵֽךְ׃

12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth.

12דּ֭וֹר טָה֣וֹר בְּעֵינָ֑יו וּ֝מִצֹּאָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א רֻחָֽץ׃

13There is a generation--how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.

13דּ֭וֹר מָה־ רָמ֣וּ עֵינָ֑יו וְ֝עַפְעַפָּ֗יו יִנָּשֵֽׂאוּ׃

14There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind.

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

15The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!":

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

16Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!"

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

17As for the eye that ridicules a father and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it.

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

18Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand:

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

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 young woman.

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've done nothing wrong."

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

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

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

22a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food,

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

23an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

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

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

24אַרְבָּ֣עָה הֵ֭ם קְטַנֵּי־ אָ֑רֶץ וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה חֲכָמִ֥ים מְחֻכָּמִֽים׃

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

25הַ֭נְּמָלִים עַ֣ם לֹא־ עָ֑ז וַיָּכִ֖ינוּ בַקַּ֣יִץ לַחְמָֽם׃

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

26שְׁ֭פַנִּים עַ֣ם לֹא־ עָצ֑וּם וַיָּשִׂ֖ימוּ בַסֶּ֣לַע בֵּיתָֽם׃

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

27מֶ֭לֶךְ אֵ֣ין לָאַרְבֶּ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֖א חֹצֵ֣ץ כֻּלּֽוֹ׃

28a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces.

28שְׂ֭מָמִית בְּיָדַ֣יִם תְּתַפֵּ֑שׂ וְ֝הִ֗יא בְּהֵ֣יכְלֵי מֶֽלֶךְ׃ פ

29Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk:

29שְׁלֹשָׁ֣ה הֵ֭מָּה מֵיטִ֣יבֵי צָ֑עַד וְ֝אַרְבָּעָ֗ה מֵיטִ֥בֵי לָֽכֶת׃

30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything,

30לַ֭יִשׁ גִּבּ֣וֹר בַּבְּהֵמָ֑ה וְלֹא־ יָ֝שׁ֗וּב מִפְּנֵי־ כֹֽל׃

31a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army.

31זַרְזִ֣יר מָתְנַ֣יִם אוֹ־ תָ֑יִשׁ וּ֝מֶ֗לֶךְ אַלְק֥וּם עִמּֽוֹ׃

32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth.

32אִם־ נָבַ֥לְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂ֑א וְאִם־ זַ֝מּ֗וֹתָ יָ֣ד לְפֶֽה׃

33For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife.

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

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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