Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
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. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 Actually, I'm too stupid to be human, a man without understanding.
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Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man.
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 One.
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 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!
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, lest he rebuke you and you 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; deny them not 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 is needful for me,
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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lest 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.
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 his master, lest he curse you, and you 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 clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth.
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 fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.
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 and Give. 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 land never satisfied with 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 picked 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 serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.
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 he is filled 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 maidservant when she displaces 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, but 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 not strong, 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 rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
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 you can take in your hands, yet it is 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 tread; four are stately in their stride:
30 a lion, a warrior among beasts, which doesn't back down at anything;
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the lion, which is mightiest among beasts 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 whose army is with him.
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 pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025