| New King James Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: | 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: |
| 2Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. | 2I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man's ability to understand. |
| 3I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound 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, If 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? |
| 5Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust 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, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. | 6Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. |
| 7Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): | 7Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die: |
| 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; | 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. |
| 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. | 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. |
| 10Do not malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. | 10Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. |
| 11There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. | 11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. |
| 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. | 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. |
| 13There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. | 13There is a generation--how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. |
| 14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men. | 14There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The leech has two daughters— Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough!”: | 15The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!": |
| 16The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, “Enough!” | 16Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!" |
| 17The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. | 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. |
| 18There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: | 18Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand: |
| 19The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin. | 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. |
| 20This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” | 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." |
| 21For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up: | 21The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: |
| 22For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food, | 22a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, |
| 23A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. | 23an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen. |
| 24There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
| 25The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; | 25the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; | 26hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; |
| 27The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; | 27locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; |
| 28The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces. | 28a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. |
| 29There are three things which are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk: | 29Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk: |
| 30A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any; | 30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything, |
| 31A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him. | 31a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army. |
| 32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. | 32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. |
| 33For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife. | 33For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. |
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