New Living Translation

King James Bible

1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.

2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.

3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

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!

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?

5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.

7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

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.

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.

10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.

10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.

11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.

12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.

13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.

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.

15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”:

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

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.

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.

18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:

18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

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.

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.

20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”

20Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:

21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,

22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.

23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:

24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.

25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.

26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.

27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:

29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,

30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.

31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.

32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

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.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.