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| The words of Agur the son of Jakeh,
even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding
of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
4 Who 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? 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them
that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest
he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest 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. 10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There 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. 15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. 17 The 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. 18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: 19 The 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. 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. 21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: 22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. 24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces. 29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; 31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. 33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. |
The message of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.
1 I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. 2 I am too ignorant to be human, and I lack common sense. 3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. 4 Who 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! 5 Every word of God proves true. He defends all who come to him for protection. 6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you, and you will be found a liar. 7 O God, I beg two favors from you before I die. 8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. 9 For 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. 10 Never slander a person to his employer. If you do, the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. 11 Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. 12 They feel pure, but they are filthy and unwashed. 13 They are proud beyond description and disdainful. 14 They devour the poor with teeth as sharp as swords or knives. They destroy the needy from the face of the earth. 15 The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three other things—no, four!—that are never satisfied: 16 the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. 17 The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures. 18 There are three things that amaze me—no, four things I do not understand: 19 how 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. 20 Equally amazing is how an adulterous woman can satisfy her sexual appetite, shrug her shoulders, and then say, “What’s wrong with that?” 21 There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure: 22 a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, 23 a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. 24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: 25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food for the winter. 26 Rock badgers—they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocky cliffs. 27 Locusts—they have no king, but they march like an army in ranks. 28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. 29 There are three stately monarchs on the earth—no, four: 30 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, 31 the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. 32 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, don’t brag about it—cover your mouth with your hand in shame. 33 As the beating of cream yields butter, and a blow to the nose causes bleeding, so anger causes quarrels. |