| Holman Christian Standard Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal: | 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. |
| 2I am more stupid than any other man, and I lack man's ability to understand. | 2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. |
| 3I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 4Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son-- if you know? | 4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! |
| 5Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. | 5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
| 6Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die: | 7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: |
| 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need. | 8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, |
| 9Otherwise, I might have too much and deny You, saying, "Who is the LORD?" or I might have nothing and steal, profaning the name of my God. | 9lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. |
| 10Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you, and you will become guilty. | 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. |
| 11There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother. | 11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. |
| 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filth. | 12There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. |
| 13There is a generation--how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks. | 13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! |
| 14There is a generation whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, devouring the oppressed from the land and the needy from among mankind. | 14There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!": | 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: |
| 16Sheol; a childless womb; earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!" | 16Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” |
| 17As for the eye that ridicules a father and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it. | 17The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. |
| 18Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand: | 18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: |
| 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a young woman. | 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. |
| 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong." | 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” |
| 21The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four: | 21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: |
| 22a servant when he becomes king, a fool when he is stuffed with food, | 22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; |
| 23an unloved woman when she marries, and a servant girl when she ousts her queen. | 23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. |
| 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: |
| 25the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer; | 25the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; |
| 26hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; | 26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; |
| 27locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks; | 27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; |
| 28a lizard can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces. | 28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. |
| 29Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk: | 29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: |
| 30a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything, | 30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; |
| 31a strutting rooster, a goat, and a king at the head of his army. | 31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. |
| 32If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth. | 32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. |
| 33For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife. | 33For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. |
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