Proverbs

The Words of Agur

1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God,and worn out.

2Surely I am the most ignorant of men,and I lack the understanding of a man.

3I have not learned wisdom,and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended to heaven and come down?Who has gathered the wind in His hands?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 the name of His Son—surely you know!

5Every word of God is flawless;He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6Do not add to His words,lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.

7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:

8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

9Otherwise, I may have too muchand deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’Or I may become poor and steal,profaning the name of my God.

10Do not slander a servant to his master,or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.

11There is a generation of those who curse their fathersand do not bless their mothers.

12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyesand yet unwashed of their filth.

13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyesand pretentious are their glances—

14there is a generation whose teeth are swordsand whose jaws are knives,devouring the oppressed from the earthand the needy from among men.

15The leech has two daughters:Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’

17As for the eye that mocks a fatherand scorns obedience to a mother,may the ravens of the valley pluck it outand young vultures devour it.

18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot 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 maiden.

20This is the way of an adulteress:She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

22a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

23an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

24Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:

25The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

26the rock badgersare creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.

29There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:

30a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;

31a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.

32If you have foolishly exalted yourselfor if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.

33For as the churning of milk yields butter,and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation:the man says to Ithiel,to Ithiel and Ucal:

2“Surely I am the most ignorant man,and don’t have a man’s understanding.

3I have not learned wisdom,neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

5“Every word of God is flawless.He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6Don’t you add to his words,lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

7“Two things I have asked of you.Don’t deny me before I die.

8Remove far from me falsehood and lies.Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

9lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

10“Don’t slander a servant to his master,lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

11There is a generation that curses their father,and doesn’t bless their mother.

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

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

14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

15“The leech has two daughters:‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied;four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:

16Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’

17“The eye that mocks at his father,and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

18“There are three things which are too amazing for me,four which I don’t understand:

19The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

20“So is the way of an adulterous woman:She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21“For three things the earth trembles,and under four, it can’t bear up:

22For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,

23for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.

24“There are four things which are little on the earth,but they are exceedingly wise:

25The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

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

27The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

28You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29“There are three things which are stately in their march,four which are stately in going:

30The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

31the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

32“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself,or if you have thought evil,put your hand over your mouth.

33For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”