| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: | 1The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle: This man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal: |
| 2Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; |
| 3I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound 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, If 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 is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust 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 request of You (Deprive me not before I die): | 7Two things I ask from you; do not refuse me before I die: |
| 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to 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 malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. | 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. |
| 11There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. | 11There is a generation who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. |
| 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. | 12There is a generation who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
| 13There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. | 13There is a generation whose eyes are so lofty, and whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully. |
| 14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men. | 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! There are three things that 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"-- |
| 16The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire 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 his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. | 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. |
| 18There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which 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 air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, 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 adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” | 20This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have not done wrong." |
| 21For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up: | 21Under three things the earth trembles, and under four things it cannot bear up: |
| 22For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food, | 22under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who is stuffed with food, |
| 23A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. | 23under an unloved woman who is married, and under a female servant who dispossesses her mistress. |
| 24There are four things which are little on the earth, 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 prepare their food in the summer; | 25ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; |
| 26The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; | 26rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; |
| 27The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; | 27locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; |
| 28The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces. | 28a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. |
| 29There are three things which are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk: | 29There are three things that are magnificent in their step, four things that move about magnificently: |
| 30A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any; | 30a lion, mightiest of the beasts, who does not retreat from anything; |
| 31A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him. | 31a strutting rooster, a male goat, and a king with his army around him. |
| 32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised 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 as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath 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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