| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 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. | 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh--an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail. |
| 2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the 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! | 4Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped up the waters in a 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. | 5"Every 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. | 6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die: | 7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; 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. | 8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. |
| 9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. | 9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the LORD?' Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. |
| 10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. | 10"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| 11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; |
| 12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. | 12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; |
| 13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— | 13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; |
| 14there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. | 14those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: | 15"The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "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!’ | 16the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!' |
| 17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it. | 17"The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. |
| 18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: | 18"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not 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. | 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman. |
| 20This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ | 20"This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' |
| 21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: | 21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: |
| 22a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, | 22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, |
| 23an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress. | 23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. |
| 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: | 24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
| 25The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; | 25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; | 26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; |
| 27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; | 27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; |
| 28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. | 28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. |
| 29There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: | 29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: |
| 30a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything; | 30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; |
| 31a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him. | 31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. |
| 32If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. | 32"If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap 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.” | 33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." |
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