Chapter 30

The Words of Agur

1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the 1oracle.

The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 Surely I am more astupid than any man,

And I do not have the understanding of a man.

3 Neither have I learned wisdom,

Nor do I have the aknowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who has aascended into heaven and descended?

Who has gathered the bwind in His fists?

Who has cwrapped the waters in 1His garment?

Who has destablished all the ends of the earth?

What is His ename or His son’s name?

Surely you know!

5 Every aword of God is tested;

He is a bshield to those who take refuge in Him.

6 aDo not add to His words

Or He will reprove you, and you will be proved a liar.

7 Two things I asked of You,

Do not refuse me before I die:

8 Keep deception and 1lies far from me,

Give me neither poverty nor riches;

Feed me with the afood that is my portion,

9 That I not be afull and deny bYou and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or that I not be cin want and steal,

And dprofane the name of my God.

10 Do not slander a slave to his master,

Or he will acurse you and you will be found guilty.

11 There is a 1kind of man who acurses his father

And does not bless his mother.

12 There is a 1kind who is apure in his own eyes,

Yet is not washed from his filthiness.

13 There is a 1kind—oh how alofty are his eyes!

And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

14 There is a 1kind of man whose ateeth are like swords

And his bjaw teeth like knives,

To cdevour the afflicted from the earth

And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters,

“Give,” “Give.”

There are three things that will not be satisfied,

Four that will not say, “Enough”:

16 1aSheol, and the bbarren womb,

Earth that is never satisfied with water,

And fire that never says, “Enough.”

17 The eye that amocks a father

And 1bscorns a mother,

The cravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young ceagles will eat it.

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Four which I do not understand:

19 The way of an aeagle in the sky,

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 maid.

20 This is the way of an aadulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wrong.”

21 Under three things the earth quakes,

And under four, it cannot bear up:

22 Under a aslave when he becomes king,

And a fool when he is satisfied with food,

23 Under an unloved woman when she gets a husband,

And a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

24 Four things are small on the earth,

But they are exceedingly wise:

25 The aants are not a strong people,

But they prepare their food in the summer;

26 The 1ashephanim are not mighty people,

Yet they make their houses in the rocks;

27 The locusts have no king,

Yet all of them go out in aranks;

28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands,

Yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things which are stately in their march,

Even four which are stately when they walk:

30 The lion which is amighty among beasts

And does not 1bretreat before any,

31 The 1strutting rooster, the male goat also,

And a king when his army is with him.

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself

Or if you have plotted evil, aput your hand on your mouth.

33 For the 1churning of milk produces butter,

And pressing the nose brings forth blood;

So the 1churning of aanger produces strife.