The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Message Bible MSG
1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, the prophecy. The man says to Iti'el, to Iti'el and Ukhal:
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The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God! - I can do anything I want!
2 I am more boorish than anyone, I lack human discernment;
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I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me.
3 I have not learned enough wisdom to know the Holy One.
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"I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God.
4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has cupped the wind in the palms of his hands? Who has wrapped up the waters in his cloak? Who established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name? Surely you know!
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Has anyone ever seen Anyone climb into Heaven and take charge? grab the winds and control them? gather the rains in his bucket? stake out the ends of the earth? Just tell me his name, tell me the names of his sons. Come on now - tell me!"
5 Every word of God's is pure; he shields those taking refuge in him.
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The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help.
6 Don't add anything to his words; or he will rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
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So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."
7 [God,] I have asked two things of you; don't deny them to me as long as I live -
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And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me -
8 keep falsehood and futility far from me, and give me neither poverty nor wealth. Yes, provide just the food I need today;
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Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence. Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little.
9 for if I have too much, I might deny you and say, "Who is ADONAI?"And if I am poor, I might steal and thus profane the name of my God.
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If I'm too full, I might get independent, saying, 'God? Who needs him?' If I'm poor, I might steal and dishonor the name of my God."
10 Never disparage a slave to his master, or he will curse you, and you will deserve it.
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Don't blow the whistle on your fellow workers behind their backs; They'll accuse you of being underhanded, and then you'll be the guilty one!
11 There is a type of people who curse their fathers and don't bless their mothers.
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Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother.
12 There is a type of people clean in their own view, but not cleansed from their filth.
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Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks.
13 There is a type of people - how haughty their look! -utterly supercilious!
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Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else.
14 There is a type of people whose teeth are like swords, yes, their fangs are knives; they devour the poor from the earth, the needy from humankind.
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Don't be greedy, merciless and cruel as wolves, Tearing into the poor and feasting on them, shredding the needy to pieces only to discard them.
15 The leech has two daughters; they cry, "Give! Give!" Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!"
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A leech has twin daughters named "Gimme" and "Gimme more." Four Insatiables Three things are never satisfied, no, there are four that never say, "That's enough, thank you!" -
16 Sh'ol and a barren womb; the earth, never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!"
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hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire.
17 The eye that mocks his father and scorns obeying his mother will be pecked out by the ravens in the valley, and the vultures will eat it.
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An eye that disdains a father and despises a mother - that eye will be plucked out by wild vultures and consumed by young eagles. Four Mysteries
18 Three things are too wonderful for me, four beyond my knowledge
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Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand -
19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the open sea, and the way of a man with a girl.
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how an eagle flies so high in the sky, how a snake glides over a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, why adolescents act the way they do.
20 This is how an unfaithful wife behaves: she eats, wipes her mouth, and says, "I did nothing wrong."
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Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, Takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?" Four Intolerables
21 Three things make the earth quake, four things it can't bear -
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Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations -
22 a slave who becomes king, a boor gorged with food,
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when the janitor becomes the boss, when a fool gets rich,
23 a hated [wife] when her husband takes her [back], and a slave-girl who inherits from her mistress.
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when a whore is voted "woman of the year," when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife. Four Small Wonders
24 Four things on the earth are small; nevertheless, they are very wise -
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There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are -
25 the ants, a species not strong, yet they store up their food in the summer;
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ants - frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;
26 the coneys, a species with little power, yet they make their home in the rocks;
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marmots - vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
27 the locusts, who have no king, yet they all march out in ranks;
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locusts - leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
28 and the spiders, which you can catch in your hand, yet they are in the king's palace.
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lizards - easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards. Four Dignitaries
29 Three things are stately in their stride, four of stately gait
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There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing -
30 the lion, mightiest of beasts, which turns aside for none;
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a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;
31 the greyhound, the billy-goat and the king when his army is with him.
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a rooster, proud and strutting; a billy goat; a head of state in stately procession.
32 If you have been boorish, exalting yourself, or if you have been scheming, lay your hand on your mouth.
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If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures,
33 For as pressing milk produces butter and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing out anger produces strife.
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Don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.