The Message Bible MSG
New Living Translation NLT
1 The skeptic swore, "There is no God! No God! - I can do anything I want!
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The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.
2 I'm more animal than human; so-called human intelligence escapes me.
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I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
3 "I flunked 'wisdom.' I see no evidence of a holy God.
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I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
4 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!"
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Who but God goes up to heaven and comes back down? Who holds the wind in his fists? Who wraps up the oceans in his cloak? Who has created the whole wide world? What is his name—and his son’s name? Tell me if you know!
5 The believer replied, "Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help.
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Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 So don't second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies."
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Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7 And then he prayed, "God, I'm asking for two things before I die; don't refuse me -
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O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8 Banish lies from my lips and liars from my presence. Give me enough food to live on, neither too much nor too little.
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First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
9 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."
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For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD ?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
10 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!
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Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 Don't curse your father or fail to bless your mother.
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Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
12 Don't imagine yourself to be quite presentable when you haven't had a bath in weeks.
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They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
13 Don't be stuck-up and think you're better than everyone else.
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They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
14 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.
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They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
15 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!" -
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The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 hell, a barren womb, a parched land, a forest fire.
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the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
17 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
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The eye that mocks a father and despises a mother’s instructions will be plucked out by ravens of the valley and eaten by vultures.
18 Three things amaze me, no, four things I'll never understand -
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There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 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.
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how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.
20 Here's how a prostitute operates: she has sex with her client, Takes a bath, then asks, "Who's next?" Four Intolerables
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An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21 Three things are too much for even the earth to bear, yes, four things shake its foundations -
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There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:
22 when the janitor becomes the boss, when a fool gets rich,
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a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
23 when a whore is voted "woman of the year," when a "girlfriend" replaces a faithful wife. Four Small Wonders
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a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24 There are four small creatures, wisest of the wise they are -
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There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25 ants - frail as they are, get plenty of food in for the winter;
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Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
26 marmots - vulnerable as they are, manage to arrange for rock-solid homes;
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Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 locusts - leaderless insects, yet they strip the field like an army regiment;
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Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
28 lizards - easy enough to catch, but they sneak past vigilant palace guards. Four Dignitaries
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Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three solemn dignitaries, four that are impressive in their bearing -
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There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:
30 a lion, king of the beasts, deferring to none;
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the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31 a rooster, proud and strutting; a billy goat; a head of state in stately procession.
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the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
32 If you're dumb enough to call attention to yourself by offending people and making rude gestures,
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If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
33 Don't be surprised if someone bloodies your nose. Churned milk turns into butter; riled emotions turn into fist fights.
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As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
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.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.