| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, | 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: |
| 2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. | 2I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man's ability to understand. |
| 3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. | 3I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 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? | 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? |
| 5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. | 5Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. |
| 6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. | 6Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. |
| 7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: | 7Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die: |
| 8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: | 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. | 10Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. |
| 11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. | 11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. |
| 12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. | 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. |
| 13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. | 13There is a generation--how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. |
| 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. | 14There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: | 15The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!": |
| 16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. | 16Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!" |
| 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. | 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. |
| 18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: | 18Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand: |
| 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. | 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. |
| 20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. | 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." |
| 21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: | 21The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: |
| 22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; | 22a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, |
| 23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. | 23an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen. |
| 24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
| 25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; | 25the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; | 26hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; |
| 27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; | 27locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; |
| 28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. | 28a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. |
| 29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: | 29Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk: |
| 30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; | 30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything, |
| 31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. | 31a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army. |
| 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. | 32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. |
| 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. | 33For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. |
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