1The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle,—The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
4Who hath ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet I die:
8Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
9Lest I be full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
14A generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors,—to devour the humbled out of the earth, and the needy, from among men.
15The vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, Enough!
16Hades, and barrenness,—A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, Enough!
17The eye that mocketh a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
19The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock,—the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
20So, is the way of a woman committing adultery,—she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24Four, things there are, the small of the earth,—yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25The ants, a people, not strong,—yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27King, is there none, to, the locusts,—yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold,—yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31The greyhound, or the he-goat,—and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
32If thou hast acted basely by lifting thyself up,—if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
33Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.