Septuagint Bible w/ Apocrypha LXX
New Revised Standard w/ Apocrypha NRSA
1 These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
1
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 For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
2
Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.
3 God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
3
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 winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
4
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 For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
5
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
6 Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.
6
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 thee; take not favour from me before I die.
7
Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
8
Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,
9 lest I be filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear by the name of God.
9
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 Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.
10
Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
11 A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
11
There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
12
There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
13 A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
13
There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!—
14 A wicked generation have swords teeth and jaw-teeth knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them from among men.
14
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 horse-leech had three dearly-beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to say, Enough.
15
The leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":
16 The grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, It is enough.
16
Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."
17 The eye that laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
17
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 Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
18
Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:
19 the track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways of a man in youth.
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 girl.
20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
20
This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wrong."
21 By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:
21
Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
22 if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
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a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food;
23 or if a maid-servant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
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an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24 And four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
24
Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 the ants which are weak, and prepare food in summer;
25
the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer;
26 the rabbits also a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
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the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 The locusts have no king, and march orderly at one command.
27
the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
28 And the eft, which supports itself by hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
28
the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
29 And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
29
Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait:
30 A lion's whelp, stronger than beasts, which turns not away, nor fears beast;
30
the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any;
31 and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
31
the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people.
32 If thou abandon thyself to mirth, and stretch forth thine hand in a quarrel, thou shalt be disgraced.
32
If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
33 Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if thou wing nostrils there shall come out blood: so if thou extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
33
For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.
The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.
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.