King James Bible

English Standard Version

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

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.

2Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

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

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

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

4Who 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?

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!

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

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

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

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

7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

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

8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

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

9Lest 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.

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.

10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

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

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

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

12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

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

13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

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

14There 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.

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

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

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

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

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

17The 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.

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.

18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

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

19The 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.

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.

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

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

21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

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

22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

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

23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

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

24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

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

25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

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

26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

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

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

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

28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

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

29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

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

30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

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

31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

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

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

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

33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

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

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

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.