1The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
2“Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.
3Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
4Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest it?”
5Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.
6Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.
8Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto me:
9Lest I become over-full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against the name of my God.
10Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its filthiness.
13There is a generation—O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.
14There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and whose string teeth are as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
15Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying,] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:
16The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough.
17The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.
18Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:
19The way of the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
20Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
21Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
27The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
32If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:
33For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.