New International Version NIV
Lexham English Bible LEB
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.
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The words of Agur, son of Yakeh, the oracle. Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:
2 Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding.
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Certainly I [am more] stupid than a man, and the understanding of humankind [is] not for me.
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
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And I have not learned wisdom, nor will I know knowledge of the Holy One.
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!
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Who has ascended [to] heaven and come down? Who has gathered [the] wind in the hollow of his hand? Who has wrapped water in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What [is] his name and what is the name of his child? For [surely] you know.
5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
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Every word of God [is] flawless; he [is] a shield for him who takes refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you 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, LORD; do not refuse me before I die:
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Two things I ask from you; do not deny me before I die:
8 Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.
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Keep falsehood and a {lying word} far from me; do not give me poverty or wealth; provide me [with] food [only for] my need.
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.
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Or else I will be satisfied and will deny [him] and say "Who [is] Yahweh?" Or I will be poor and will steal and profane the name of my God.
10 “Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
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Do not slander a servant to his master, or else he will curse you and you will be guilty.
11 “There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers;
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[There is] a generation [that] will curse its father, and its mother it will not bless.
12 those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
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[There is] a generation [that is] pure in its own eyes, but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful;
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[There is] a generation--how lofty [are] their eyes! And their eyelids they will lift.
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.
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[There is] a generation whose teeth [are] swords, and its jawbones, knives, [in order] to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from humankind.
15 “The leech has two daughters. ‘Give! Give!’ they cry. “There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
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For the leech, [there are] two daughters; "Give, give!" [they cry]. As for three of these, they are not satisfied; as for four, they do not say enough.
16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’
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Sheol and barrenness of womb, the land is not satisfied [with] water, and fire does not say "enough!"
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.
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The eye [that] mocks a father and scorns the obedience of a mother-- the ravens of the valley will peck it out, and the offspring of vultures will eat it.
18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand:
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Three of these are [too] wonderful for me, and four, I do not understand them:
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.
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the way of the eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’
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This is the way of a woman committing adultery: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says "I have not done wrong."
21 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
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Under three [things] the earth trembles, and under four, it is not able to bear up:
22 a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
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under a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is satisfied [with] food;
23 a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.
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under an unloved woman when she gets married, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:
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There [are] four small things on the earth, and they [are] {exceedingly wise}:
25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
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The ants [are] a people [who are] not strong, yet they prepare their food in the summer;
26 hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags;
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the badgers [are] a people [who are] not mighty, yet they set their house on the rock;
27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks;
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there is no king for the locust, yet it marches in rank;
28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
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a lizard you [can] seize with hands, yet it is in palaces of kings.
29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing:
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There [are] three [things] that are magnificent of stride, and four that are magnificent [when] moving:
30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;
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a mighty lion among the beasts, but he will not turn back from {any face};
31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.
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a strutting rooster or he-goat, and a king [whose] army [is] with him.
32 “If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth!
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If you have been foolish by exalting yourself, and if you have devised evil, [put your] hand to [your] mouth.
33 For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife.”
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For pressing milk produces curd, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing {anger} produces strife.