| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle: This man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal: | 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. |
| 2Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; | 2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. |
| 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! | 4Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know! |
| 5Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. | 5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. |
| 6Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask from you; do not refuse me before I die: | 7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. |
| 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches, feed me with my allotted portion of bread, | 8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
| 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. | 9For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name. |
| 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. | 10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| 11There is a generation who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. |
| 12There is a generation who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness. | 12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. |
| 13There is a generation whose eyes are so lofty, and whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully. | 13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. |
| 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. | 14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: "Give! Give!" There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, "Enough"-- | 15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”: |
| 16the grave, the barren womb, land that is not satisfied with water, and fire that never says, "Enough!" | 16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. |
| 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. | 17The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. |
| 18There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand: | 18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand: |
| 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. | 19how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman. |
| 20This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have not done wrong." | 20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” |
| 21Under three things the earth trembles, and under four things it cannot bear up: | 21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure: |
| 22under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who is stuffed with food, | 22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, |
| 23under an unloved woman who is married, and under a female servant who dispossesses her mistress. | 23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. |
| 24There are four things on earth that are small, but they are exceedingly wise: | 24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: |
| 25ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; | 25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. |
| 26rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; | 26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. |
| 27locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; | 27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. |
| 28a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. | 28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. |
| 29There are three things that are magnificent in their step, four things that move about magnificently: | 29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about: |
| 30a lion, mightiest of the beasts, who does not retreat from anything; | 30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, |
| 31a strutting rooster, a male goat, and a king with his army around him. | 31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. |
| 32If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself or if you have planned evil, put your hand over your mouth! | 32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. |
| 33For as the churning of milk produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. | 33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. |
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