KJV 1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, NIV 1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail. KJV 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. NIV 2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. KJV 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. NIV 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. KJV 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? NIV 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped 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? Surely you know! KJV 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. NIV 5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. KJV 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. NIV 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. KJV 7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: NIV 7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: KJV 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: NIV 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. KJV 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. NIV 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. KJV 10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. NIV 10 “Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. KJV 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. NIV 11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; KJV 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. NIV 12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; KJV 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. NIV 13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; KJV 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. NIV 14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. KJV 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: NIV 15 “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: KJV 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. NIV 16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ KJV 17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it. NIV 17 “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. KJV 18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: NIV 18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: KJV 19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid. NIV 19 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 young woman. KJV 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. NIV 20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’ KJV 21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: NIV 21 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: KJV 22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; NIV 22 a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, KJV 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. NIV 23 a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. KJV 24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: NIV 24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: KJV 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; NIV 25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; KJV 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; NIV 26 hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; KJV 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; NIV 27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; KJV 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. NIV 28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces. KJV 29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: NIV 29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: KJV 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; NIV 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; KJV 31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. NIV 31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. KJV 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. NIV 32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! KJV 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. NIV 33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
NIV 1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh—an inspired utterance. This man’s utterance to Ithiel: “I am weary, God, but I can prevail. NIV 2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. NIV 3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. NIV 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Whose hands have gathered up the wind? Who has wrapped 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? Surely you know! NIV 5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. NIV 6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. NIV 7 “Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: NIV 8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. NIV 9 Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. NIV 10 “Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. NIV 11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; NIV 12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; NIV 13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; NIV 14 those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. NIV 15 “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: NIV 16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’ NIV 17 “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures. NIV 18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: NIV 19 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 young woman. NIV 20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’ NIV 21 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: NIV 22 a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, NIV 23 a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. NIV 24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: NIV 25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; NIV 26 hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; NIV 27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; NIV 28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces. NIV 29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: NIV 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; NIV 31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. NIV 32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! NIV 33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”