The Words of Agur

1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the prophecy uttered by the man unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal:

2Truly I am more stupid than any one; and I have not a man's intelligence.

3I have neither learned wisdom, nor have I the knowledge of the Holy.

4Who hath ascended up into the heavens, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in a mantle? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

5Every word of +God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7Two things do I ask of thee; deny me them not before I die:

8Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread of my daily need:

9lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is Jehovah? or lest I be poor and steal, and outrage the name of my God.

10Speak not too much about a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

11There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother;

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

13there is a generation, how lofty are their eyes, how their eyelids are lifted up!

14a generation whose teeth are swords, and their jaw-teeth knives, to devour the afflicted from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15The leech hath two daughters: Give, give. There are three things never satisfied; four which say not, It is enough:

16Sheol, and the barren womb; the earth which is not filled with water, and the fire which saith not, It is enough.

17The eye that mocketh at a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

18There are three things too wonderful for me, and four that I know not:

19The way of an eagle in the heavens, 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.

20Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

21Under three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

22Under a servant when he reigneth, and a churl when he is filled with meat;

23under an odious woman when she is married, and a handmaid when she is heir to her mistress.

24There are four things little upon the earth, and they are exceeding wise:

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

26the rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their house in the cliff;

27the locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

28thou takest hold of the lizard with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces.

29There are three things which have a stately step, and four are comely in going:

30The lion, mighty among beasts, which turneth not away for any;

31a horse girt in the loins; or the he-goat; and a king, against whom none can rise up.

32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay the hand upon thy mouth.

33For the pressing of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood; and the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.