The Words of Agur

30 The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. t u

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

2 I am more stupid than any other man, w

and I lack man’s ability to understand. x

3 I have not gained wisdom,

and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. y

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

Who has gathered the wind in His hands?

Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? a

Who has established all the ends of the earth? b

What is His name,

and what is the name of His Son—

if you know? c

5 Every word of God is pure; d e

He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. f

6 Don’t add to His words, g

or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. h

7 Two things I ask of You;

don’t deny them to me before I die:

8 Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me.

Give me neither poverty nor wealth;

feed me with the food I need. i

9 Otherwise, I might have too much j

and deny You, k saying, “Who is the Lord?” l

or I might have nothing and steal, m

profaning n the name of my God. o

10 Don’t slander a servant to his master

or he will curse you, p and you will become * guilty.

11 There is a generation that curses its father

and does not bless its mother. q

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

yet is not washed from its filth.

13 There is a generation—how haughty its eyes

and pretentious its looks. s

14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords, t

whose fangs are knives, u

devouring the oppressed from the land v

and the needy from among mankind.

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

Three things w are never satisfied;

four never say, “Enough!”:

16 * Sheol; x a childless womb; y

earth, which is never satisfied with water;

and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

17 As for the eye that ridicules a father z

and despises obedience to a mother,

may ravens of the valley pluck it out

and young vultures eat it. a

18 Three things are beyond me;

four I can’t understand:

19 the 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.

20 This is the way of an adulteress:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” b

21 The earth trembles under three things;

it cannot bear up under four:

22 a servant when he becomes king, c

a fool when he is stuffed with food,

23 an unloved woman when she marries, d

and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

24 Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

25 the ants are not a strong people,

yet they store up their food in the summer; e

26 hyraxes are not a mighty people,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs; f

27 locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in ranks; g

28 a lizard h can be caught in your hands,

yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

29 Three things are stately in their stride,

even four are stately in their walk:

30 a lion, which is mightiest among beasts

and doesn’t retreat before anything,

31 a strutting rooster, i a goat,

and a king at the head of his army. j

32 If you have been foolish by exalting yourself

or if you’ve been scheming,

put your hand over your mouth. k

33 For the churning of milk produces butter,

and twisting a nose draws blood,

and stirring up anger produces strife. l