1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh ; the oracle . The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal: 2Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man; 3And I have not learned wisdom , Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One . 4Who hath ascended up into heaven , and descended ? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists ? Who hath bound the waters in his garment ? Who hath established all the ends of the earth ? What is his name , and what is his son ’s name , if thou knowest ? 5Every word of God is tried : He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him . 6Add thou not unto his words , Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar .
The Nature of God and His Word
7Two things have I asked of thee ; Deny me them not 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 , and deny thee , and say, Who is Jehovah ? Or lest I be poor , and steal , And use profanely the name of my God .
Observations of Creation
10Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty. 11There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother. 12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes , And yet are not washed from their filthiness . 13There is a generation , oh how lofty are their eyes ! And their eyelids are lifted up . 14There is a generation whose teeth are as swords , and their jaw teeth as knives , To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
The Warning Against Pride and Greed
15The horseleach hath two daughters , crying , Give , give . There are three things that are never satisfied , Yea , four that say not , Enough : 16Sheol ; and the barren womb ; The earth that is not satisfied with water ; And the fire that saith not , Enough . 17The eye that mocketh at his father , And despiseth to obey his mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out , And the young eagles shall eat it .
The Four Things That Are Never Satisfied
18There are three things which are too wonderful for me , Yea, four which I know not : 19The way of an eagle in the air ; The way of a serpent upon a rock ; The way of a ship in the midst of the sea ; And the way of a man with a maiden . 20So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth , And saith , I have done no wickedness.
The Generation That Curses Their Parents
21For three things the earth doth tremble , And for four , which it cannot bear : 22For a servant when he is king ; And a fool when he is filled with food ; 23For an odious woman when she is married ; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress .
The Wisdom of Humility
24There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise : 25The ants are a people not strong , 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 go they forth all of them by bands ; 28The lizard taketh hold with her hands , Yet is she in kings ’ palaces . 29There are three things which are stately in their march , Yea, four which are stately in going : 30The lion , which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any ; 31The greyhound ; the he-goat also ; And the king against whom there is no rising up . 32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil , Lay thy hand upon thy mouth . 33For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter , And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood ; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife .