The Wisdom of Agur
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh,hisutterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:
2 Surely Iammore stupid thananyman,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom
# Nor haveknowledge of the Holy One.
4 Who 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?
WhatisHis name, and whatisHis Son’s name,
If you know?
5 Every word of Godispure;
# Heisa shield to those who put their trust in Him.
6 Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
7 TwothingsI request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches—
# Feed me with the food allotted to me;
9 Lest I be full and denyYou,
And say, “WhoistheLord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.
10 Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
11 Thereisa generationthatcurses itsfather,
And does not bless its mother.
12 Thereisa generationthatispure in its own eyes,
Yetis not washed from its filthiness.
13 Thereisa generation—oh, howlofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
14 Thereisa generation whose teetharelikeswords,
And whose fangsarelikeknives,
# To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy fromamongmen.
15 The leech has two daughters—
GiveandGive!
There are threethingsthatare never satisfied,
Four never say, “Enough!”:
16 The grave,
The barren womb,
The earththatis not satisfied with water—
And the fire never says, “Enough!”
17 The eyethatmockshisfather,
And scorns obedience tohismother,
The ravens of the valley will pick it out,
And the young eagles will eat it.
18 There are threethingswhichare too wonderful for me,
Yes, fourwhichI do not understand:
19 The 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.
20 Thisisthe way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wickedness.”
21 For threethingsthe earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
22 For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
23 A hatefulwomanwhen she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
24 There are fourthingswhichare little on the earth,
But theyareexceedingly wise:
25 The antsarea people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 The rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
27 The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
28 The spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings’ palaces.
29 There are threethingswhichare majestic in pace,
Yes, fourwhichare stately in walk:
30 A lion,whichismighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;
31 A greyhound,
A male goat also,
And a kingwhosetroopsarewith him.
32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
# Or if you have devised evil,putyourhand onyourmouth.
33 Forasthe churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,
So the forcing of wrath produces strife.