New Living Translation NLT
Common English Bible CEB
1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God.
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The words of Agur, Jakeh's son, from Massa. The man declares: I'm tired, God; I'm tired, God, and I'm exhausted.
2 I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
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Actually, I'm too stupid to be human, a man without understanding.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
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I haven't learned wisdom, nor do I have knowledge of the holy one.
4 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!
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Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind by the handful? Who has bound up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is this person's name and the name of this person's child— if you know it?
5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
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All God's words are tried and true; a shield for those who take refuge in him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
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Don't add to his words, or he will correct you and show you to be a liar.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
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Two things I ask of you; don't keep them from me before I die:
8 First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.
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Fraud and lies— keep far from me! Don't give me either poverty or wealth; give me just the food I need.
9 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.
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Or I'll be full and deny you, and say, "Who is the LORD?" Or I'll be poor and steal, and dishonor my God's name.
10 Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
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Don't slander a servant to his master; otherwise, the servant will curse you, and you will be guilty.
11 Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
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There are those who curse their father and don't bless their mother.
12 They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
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There are those who think they are clean, but haven't washed off their own excrement.
13 They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
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There are those— how arrogant are their eyes; how their eyebrows are raised!
14 They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
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There are those whose teeth are swords; their jaw is a butcher's knife, ready to devour the needy from the earth, and the poor from humanity.
15 The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
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The leech has two daughters: “Give, give!” There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16 the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
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the grave and a barren womb, a land never filled with water, and fire that doesn't say, “Enough!”
17 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.
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An eye that mocks a father and rejects obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the river valley peck it out, and the eagle's young eat it.
18 There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:
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Three things are too wonderful for me, four that I can't figure out:
19 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.
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the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on the rock, the way of a ship out on the open sea, and the way of a man with a young woman.
20 An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
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This is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and she says, "I've done nothing wrong!"
21 There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:
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At three things the earth trembles, at four it can't bear up:
22 a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
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at a servant when he becomes king and fools when they are full of food;
23 a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
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at a detested woman when she gets married and a female servant when she replaces her mistress.
24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
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Four things are among the smallest on earth, but they are extremely wise:
25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
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Ants as creatures aren't strong, but they store away their food in the summer.
26 Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
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Badgers as creatures aren't powerful, but they make their homes in the rocks.
27 Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
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Locusts don't have a king, but they march together in ranks.
28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
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You can catch lizards in your hand, but they are in kings' palaces.
29 There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:
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There are three things that are excellent in their stride, four that are excellent as they walk:
30 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
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a lion, a warrior among beasts, which doesn't back down at anything;
31 the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
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the strut of a rooster or a male goat; and a king with his army.
32 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
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If you've been foolish and arrogant, if you've been scheming, put your hand to your mouth,
33 As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.
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because churning milk makes curds, squeezing the nose brings blood, and stirring up anger produces strife.
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.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible