New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
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?
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The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
2 Surely I am too stupid to be human; I do not have human understanding.
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For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.
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I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
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!
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Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
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Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 Do not add to his words, or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.
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Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7 Two things I ask of you; do not deny them to me before I die:
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I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that I need,
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Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
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.
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For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10 Do not slander a servant to a master, or the servant will curse you, and you will be held guilty.
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Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
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There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12 There are those who are pure in their own eyes yet are not cleansed of their filthiness.
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There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift!—
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There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
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.
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There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
15 The leech has two daughters; "Give, give," they cry. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough":
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The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 Sheol, the barren womb, the earth ever thirsty for water, and the fire that never says, "Enough."
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The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough.
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.
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The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
18 Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand:
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There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
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.
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The way of an eagle in the air; 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 girl.
20 This is the way of an adulteress: she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done no wrong."
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This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up:
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For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when glutted with food;
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A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
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A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
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There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 the ants are a people without strength, yet they provide their food in the summer;
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The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 the badgers are a people without power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
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The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank;
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The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 the lizard can be grasped in the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces.
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You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 Three things are stately in their stride; four are stately in their gait:
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There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals and does not turn back before any;
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The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king striding before his people.
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The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth.
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If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 For as pressing milk produces curds, and pressing the nose produces blood, so pressing anger produces strife.
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The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.