The Words of Agur⁸⁵

30:1 The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh; an oracle:¹
This² man says³ to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ukal:⁴
30:2 Surely⁵ I am more brutish⁶ than human,⁷
and I do not have a human understanding;⁸
30:3 and I have not learned wisdom,
nor do I have knowledge⁹ of the Holy One.¹⁰
30:4 Who has ascended into heaven, and then descended?¹¹
Who has gathered up the winds in His fists?¹²
Who has bound up the waters in his cloak?¹³
Who has established all the ends of the earth?¹⁴
What is His name, and what is the name of His son?¹⁵
—if you know.
30:5 Every word of God is purified;¹⁶
He is a shield for those who take refuge in Him.¹⁷
30:6 Do not add to His words,¹⁸
lest He reprove you, and prove you a liar.¹⁹
30:7 Two things²⁰ I ask from You;²¹
do not refuse me before I die:
30:8 Remove falsehood and lies²² far from me;
no not give me poverty or riches,
feed me with my allotted²³ bread.²⁴
30:9 Lest I become satisfied and act deceptively²⁵
and say , “Who is the LORD?”
Or lest I become poor and steal
and harm²⁶ the name of my God.
30:10 Do not slander²⁷ a servant to his master,
lest he curse you, and you are found guilty.²⁸
30:11 There is a generation²⁹ who curse their father
and do not bless their mother;³⁰
30:12 there is a generation who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not washed³¹ from their filthiness;³²
30:13 there is a generation whose eyes are so³³ lofty,
and whose eyelids are lifted up;³⁴
30:14 there is a generation whose teeth are swords³⁵
and whose great teeth are swords
to devour³⁶ the poor from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.
30:15 The leech³⁷ has two daughters:³⁸
“Give! Give!”³⁹
There are three things that are never satisfied,
four⁴⁰ that never say, “Enough!”:⁴¹
30:16 the grave,⁴² the barren womb,⁴³
land that is not satisfied with water,
and fire that never says, “Enough!”⁴⁴
30:17 The eye⁴⁵ that mocks at a father,
and despises obeying⁴⁶ a mother,
the ravens of the valley shall peck it out,
and the young vultures shall eat it.⁴⁷
30:18 There are three things that are too wonderful for me,⁴⁸
four that I do not understand:
30:19 the way⁴⁹ of an eagle in the sky,
the way of a snake on a rock,
the way of a ship in the sea,
and the way of a man with a maiden.⁵⁰
30:20 This is the way⁵¹ of an adulterous⁵² woman:
she eats and wipes her mouth⁵³
and says, “I have not done wrong.”⁵⁴
30:21 Under three things the earth trembles,⁵⁵
and under four things it cannot bear up:
30:22 under a servant⁵⁶ who becomes king,
under a fool who is filled with food,⁵⁷
30:23 under an unloved⁵⁸ woman who is married,
and under a maidservant who dispossesses⁵⁹ her mistress.
30:24 There are four things on earth that are small,⁶⁰
but they are exceedingly wise:⁶¹
30:25 the ants are creatures with little strength,
but they prepare⁶² their food in the summer;
30:26 coneys⁶³ are creatures with little power,
but they make their homes in the crags;
30:27 the locusts have no king,
but they all go forth by ranks;⁶⁴
30:28 a lizard⁶⁵ you can seize with the hand,
but it is in the palaces of the king.
30:29 There are three things that are magnificent⁶⁶ in their step,
four things that move about magnificently:⁶⁷
30:30 a lion, mightiest⁶⁸ of the beasts,
who does not retreat from any anything;
30:31 a strutting rooster,⁶⁹ a he-goat,
and a king with his army around him.⁷⁰
30:32 If you have done foolishly in exalting yourself,⁷¹
or if you have planned evil,
put⁷² your hand over your mouth!
30:33 for as the churning⁷³ of milk produces butter,
and as pressing the nose produces forth blood,
so stirring up anger⁷⁴ produces strife.⁷⁵