The Words of Agur

1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement.a a

The man’s oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:B

2I am more stupid than any other person,A

and I lack a human’s ability to understand.a

3I have not gained wisdom,

and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.a

4Who has gone up to heaven and come down?a

Who has gathered the wind in his hands?

Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?b

Who has established all the ends of the earth?c

What is his name,

and what is the name of his son —

if you know?d

5Every word of God is pure;a a

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.b

6Don’t add to his words,a

or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.b

7Two things I ask of you;

don’t deny them to me before I die:

8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth;

feed me with the food I need.a

9Otherwise, I might have too mucha

and deny you,b saying, “Who is the Lord? ”c

or I might have nothing and steal,d

profaningA the name of my God.e

10Don’t slander a servant to his master

or he will curse you,a and you will become guilty.

11There is a generation that curses its father

and does not bless its mother.a

12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,a

yet is not washed from its filth.

13There is a generation — how haughty its eyes

and pretentious its looks.A

14There is a generation whose teeth are swords,a

whose fangs are knives,b

devouring the oppressed from the landc

and the needy from among mankind.

15The leech has two daughters: “Give, Give! ”

Three thingsa are never satisfied;

four never say, “Enough! ”:

16Sheol;a a childless womb;b

earth, which is never satisfied with water;

and fire, which never says, “Enough! ”

17As for the eye that ridicules a fathera

and despises obedience to a mother,

may ravens of the valley pluck it out

and young vultures eat it.b

18Three things are too wondrous for me;a

four I can’t understand:

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.

20This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”a

21The earth trembles under three things;

it cannot bear up under four:

22a servant when he becomes king,a

a fool when he is stuffed with food,

23an unloved woman when she marries,a

and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

24Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

25ants are not a strong people,

yet they store up their food in the summer;a

26hyraxes are not a mighty people,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs;a

27locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in ranks;a

28a lizardA can be caught in your hands,

yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

29Three things are stately in their stride;

four are stately in their walk:

30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts

and doesn’t retreat before anything;

31a strutting rooster;A a goat;

and a king at the head of his army.B

32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself

or if you’ve been scheming,

put your hand over your mouth.a

33For the churning of milk produces butter,

and twisting a nose draws blood,

and stirring up anger produces strife.a