English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.

1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.

2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.

2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.

3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One.

3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.

4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know!

4Who 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!

5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.

6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.

7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die:

7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.

8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,

8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

9lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

9For 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.

10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.

11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.

12There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.

12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.

13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!

13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.

14There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.

14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.

15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”:

15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”:

16Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.

17The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.

17The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.

18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:

18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:

19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.

19how 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.

20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.”

20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”

21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:

21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:

22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food;

22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,

23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.

24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise:

24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:

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

25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.

26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;

26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.

27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;

27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.

28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride:

29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:

30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any;

30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,

31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him.

31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.

32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.

32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.

33For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.

33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.