Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 The words of Agur, Jakeh's son, from Massa. The man declares: I'm tired, God; I'm tired, God, and I'm exhausted.
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The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle. Thus says the man: I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?
2 Actually, I'm too stupid to be human, a man without understanding.
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Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.
3 I haven't learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the holy one.
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I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind by the handful? Who has bound up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is this person's name and the name of this person's child— if you know it?
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Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is the person's name? And what is the name of the person's child? Surely you know!
5 All God's words are tried and true; a shield for those who take refuge in him.
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Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Don't add to his words, or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.
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Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.
7 Two things I ask of you; don't keep them from me before I die:
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Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Fraud and lies— keep far from me! Don't give me either poverty or wealth; give me just the food I need.
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Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,
9 Or I'll be full and deny you, and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or I'll be poor and steal, and dishonor my God's name.
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or I shall be full, and deny you, and say, "Who is the Lord?" or I shall be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.
10 Don't slander a servant to his master; otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.
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Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
11 There are those who curse their father and don't bless their mother.
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There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 There are those who think they are clean, but haven't washed off their own excrement.
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There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
13 There are those— how arrogant are their eyes; how their eyebrows are raised!
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There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!—
14 There are those whose teeth are swords; their jaw is a butcher's knife, ready to devour the needy from the earth, and the poor from humanity.
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there are those whose teeth are swords, whose teeth are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mortals.
15 The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
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The leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":
16 the grave and a barren womb, a land never filled with water, and fire that doesn't say, “Enough!”
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Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."
17 An eye that mocks a father and rejects obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the river valley peck it out, and the eagle's young eat it.
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The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me, four that I can't figure out:
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Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on the rock, the way of a ship out on the open sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.
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the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a girl.
20 This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and she says, "I've done nothing wrong!"
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This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wrong."
21 At three things the earth trembles, at four it can't bear up:
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Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
22 at a servant when he becomes king and fools when they are full of food;
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a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food;
23 at a detested woman when she gets married and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.
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an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24 Four things are among the smallest on earth, but they are extremely wise:
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Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 Ants as creatures aren't strong, but they store away their food in the summer.
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the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 Badgers as creatures aren't powerful, but they make their homes in the rocks.
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the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 Locusts don't have a king, but they march together in ranks.
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the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
28 You can catch lizards in your hand, but they are in kings' palaces.
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the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
29 There are three things that are excellent in their stride, four that are excellent as they walk:
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Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait:
30 a lion, a warrior among beasts, which doesn't back down at anything;
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the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any;
31 the strut of a rooster or a male goat; and a king with his army.
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the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people.
32 If you've been foolish and arrogant, if you've been scheming, put your hand to your mouth,
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If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
33 because churning milk makes curds, squeezing the nose brings blood, and stirring up anger produces strife.
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For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.