Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
New Living Translation NLT
1 The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke, with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
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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 am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
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I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
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I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
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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 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
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Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved and found a liar:
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Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
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O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.
8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
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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 Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear 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 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
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Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
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Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother.
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
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They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed.
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
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They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances.
14 A generation that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among men.
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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 The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
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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 and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.
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the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire.
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
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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 are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
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There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand:
19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
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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 Such also is the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
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An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear.
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There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when be is filled with meat:
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a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers,
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
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a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise.
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There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
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Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer.
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
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Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks.
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands:
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Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation.
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
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Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
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There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
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the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
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the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army.
32 There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
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If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame.
33 And he that strongly squeezeth the paps to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath, bringeth forth strife.
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As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels.