New International Version | Christian Standard Bible |
1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh--an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail. | 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The pronouncement. The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: |
2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. | 2I am more stupid than any other person, and I lack a human's ability to understand. |
3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. |
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! | 4Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his hands? Who has bound 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--if you know? |
5"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | 5Every word of God is pure; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. | 6Don't add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. |
7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: | 7Two things I ask of you; don't deny them to me before I die: |
8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. | 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. |
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. | 9Otherwise, I might have too much and deny you, saying, "Who is the LORD?" or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God. |
10"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. | 10Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. |
11"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; | 11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. |
12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; | 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. |
13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; | 13There is a generation--how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. |
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. | 14There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind. |
15"The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': | 15The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!": |
16the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!' | 16Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!" |
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. | 17As for the eye that ridicules a father and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it. |
18"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: | 18Three things are too wondrous for me; four I can't understand: |
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. | 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 young woman. |
20"This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' | 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." |
21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: | 21The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: |
22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, | 22a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, |
23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. | 23an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen. |
24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; | 25ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; | 26hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; |
27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; | 27locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; |
28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. | 28a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. |
29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: | 29Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their walk: |
30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; | 30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything; |
31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. | 31a strutting rooster; a goat; and a king at the head of his army. |
32"If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! | 32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. |
33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." | 33For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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