¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle:

• the man says to Ithiel,
• to Ithiel and Ucal:

• ²“Surely I am the most ignorant man,
• and don’t have a man’s understanding.

• ³I have not learned wisdom,
• neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

• ⁴Who has ascended up into heaven, and descended?
• Who has gathered the wind in his fists?
• Who has bound the waters in his garment?
• Who has established all the ends of the earth?
• What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

• ⁵“Every word of God is flawless.
• He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

• ⁶Don’t you add to his words,
• lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

• ⁷“Two things I have asked of you;
• don’t deny me before I die:

• ⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lies.
• Give me neither poverty nor riches.
• Feed me with the food that is needful for me;

• ⁹lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’
• or lest I be poor, and steal,
• and so dishonor the name of my God.

• ¹⁰“Don’t slander a servant to his master,
• lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

• ¹¹There is a generation that curses their father,
• and doesn’t bless their mother.

• ¹²There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,
• yet are not washed from their filthiness.

• ¹³There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes!
• Their eyelids are lifted up.

• ¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
• and their jaws like knives,
• to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

• ¹⁵“The leach has two daughters:
• ‘Give, give.’

• “There are three things that are never satisfied;
• four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’
• ¹⁶ Sheol *Sheol is the place of the dead.,
• the barren womb;
• the earth that is not satisfied with water;
• and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’

• ¹⁷“The eye that mocks at his father,
• and scorns obedience to his mother:
• the ravens of the valley shall pick it out,
• the young eagles shall eat it.

• ¹⁸“There are three things which are too amazing for me,
• four which I don’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 maiden.

• ²⁰“So is the way of an adulterous woman:
• she eats and wipes her mouth,
• and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

• ²¹“For three things the earth tremble,
• and under four, it can’t bear up:
• ²²For a servant when he is king;
• a fool when he is filled with food;
• ²³for an unloved woman when she is married;
• and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

• ²⁴“There are four things which are little on the earth,
• but they are exceedingly wise:
• ²⁵the ants are not a strong people,
• yet they provide their food in the summer.
• ²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk,
• yet make they their houses in the rocks.
• ²⁷The locusts have no king,
• yet they advance in ranks.
• ²⁸You can catch a lizard with your hands,
• yet it is in kings’ palaces.

• ²⁹“There are three things which are stately in their march,
• four which are stately in going:
• ³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among animals,
• and doesn’t turn away for any;
• ³¹the greyhound,
• the male goat also;
• and the king against whom there is no rising up.

• ³²“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself,
• or if you have thought evil,

• put your hand over your mouth.
• ³³For as the churning of milk brings forth butter,
• and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood;
• so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.”