New Living Translation NLT
Young's Literal Translation YLT
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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Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: -- I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
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For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.
3 I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
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Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.
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 went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son's name? Surely thou knowest!
5 Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
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Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.
6 Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
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Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.
7 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
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Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not 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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Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
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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Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, `Who [is] Jehovah?' And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.
10 Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
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Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
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A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.
12 They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
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A generation -- pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.
13 They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
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A generation -- how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.
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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A generation -- swords [are] their teeth, And knives -- their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.
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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To the leech [are] two daughters, `Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said `Sufficiency;'
16 the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
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Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth -- it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire -- it hath not said, `Sufficiency,'
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 mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.
18 There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:
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Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:
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 the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.
20 An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
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So -- the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, `I have not done iniquity.'
21 There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:
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For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four -- it is not able to bear:
22 a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
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For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
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For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.
24 There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
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Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
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The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,
26 Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
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Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,
27 Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
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A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out -- each one shouting,
28 Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
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A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:
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Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:
30 the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
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An old lion -- mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,
31 the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
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A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king -- no rising up with him.
32 If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
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If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil -- hand to 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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For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!