| NET Bible | New International Version |
| 1The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle: This man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal: | 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 more brutish than any other human being, and I do not have human understanding; | 2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 4Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended? Who has gathered up the winds in his fists? 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 his son's name?--if 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 purified; he is like a shield for 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 reprove you, and prove you to be a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask from you; do not refuse me before I die: | 7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: |
| 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; do not give me poverty or riches, feed me with my allotted portion of bread, | 8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. |
| 9lest I become satisfied and act deceptively and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or lest I become poor and steal and demean 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, lest he curse you, and you are found guilty. | 10"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| 11There is a generation 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 who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness. | 12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; |
| 13There is a generation whose eyes are so lofty, and whose eyelids are lifted up disdainfully. | 13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; |
| 14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords and whose molars are like knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among the human race. | 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! 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!': |
| 16the grave, the barren womb, land that is not 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!' |
| 17The eye that mocks at a father and despises obeying a mother--the ravens of the valley will peck it out and the young vultures will eat 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 that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not 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 in the sea, and the way of a man with a woman. | 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 adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I have not done 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, and under four things it cannot bear up: | 21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: |
| 22under a servant who becomes king, under a fool who is stuffed with food, | 22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, |
| 23under an unloved woman who is married, and under a female servant who dispossesses her mistress. | 23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. |
| 24There are four things on earth that are small, but they are exceedingly wise: | 24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
| 25ants are creatures with little strength, but they prepare their food in the summer; | 25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26rock badgers are creatures with little power, but they make their homes in the crags; | 26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; |
| 27locusts have no king, but they all go forward by ranks; | 27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; |
| 28a lizard you can catch with the hand, but it gets into the palaces of the king. | 28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. |
| 29There are three things that are magnificent in their step, four things that move about magnificently: | 29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: |
| 30a lion, mightiest of the beasts, who does not retreat from anything; | 30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; |
| 31a strutting rooster, a male goat, and a king with his army around him. | 31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. |
| 32If you have done foolishly by exalting yourself or if you have planned 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 produces butter and as punching the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife. | 33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." |
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