| 1 ¶ The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
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| 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
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| 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have1 the knowledge of the holy.
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| 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?
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| 5 Every word of God is pure:2 he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
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| 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
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| 7 ¶ Two things have I required of thee; deny3 me them not before I die:
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| 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient4 for me:
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| 9 Lest I be full, and deny5 thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
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| 10 ¶ Accuse6 not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
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| 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
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| 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
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| 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
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| 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.
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| 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:7
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| 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
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| 17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley8 shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
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| 18 ¶ There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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| 19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst9 of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
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| 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
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| 21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:
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| 22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
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| 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
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| 24 ¶ There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding10 wise:
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| 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
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| 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
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| 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by11 bands;
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| 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.
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| 29 ¶ There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
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| 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
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| 31 A greyhound;12 an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.
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| 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
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| 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.
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