1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, {even} the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 Surely I {am} more brutish than {any} man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. {have: Heb. know}
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what {is} his name, and what {is} his son's name, if thou canst tell?
5 Every word of God {is} pure: he {is} a shield unto them that put their trust in him. {pure: Heb. purified}
6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two {things} have I required of thee; deny me {them} not before I die: {deny...: Heb. withhold not from me}
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: {convenient...: Heb. of my allowance}
9 Lest I be full, and deny {thee}, and say, Who {is} the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God {in vain}. {deny...: Heb. belie thee}
10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. {Accuse...: Heb. Hurt not with thy tongue}
11 {There is} a generation {that} curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 {There is} a generation {that are} pure in their own eyes, and {yet} is not washed from their filthiness.
13 {There is} a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
14 {There 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.
15 The horseleach hath two daughters, {crying}, Give, give. There are three {things that} are never satisfied, {yea}, four {things} say not, {It is} enough: {It is...: Heb. Wealth}
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth {that} is not filled with water; and the fire {that} saith not, {It is} enough.
17 The 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 valley: or, the brook}
18 There be three {things which} are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
19 The 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 maid. {midst: Heb. heart}
20 Such {is} the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 For three {things} the earth is disquieted, and for four {which} it cannot bear:
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
23 For an odious {woman} when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 There be four {things which are} little upon the earth, but they {are} exceeding wise: {exceeding...: Heb. wise, made wise}
25 The ants {are} a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 The conies {are but} a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; {by...: Heb. gathered together}
28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
29 There be three {things} which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 A lion {which is} strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom {there is} no rising up. {greyhound: or, horse: Heb. girt in the loins}
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, {lay} thine hand upon thy mouth.
33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.