| English Standard Version | New International Version |
| 1The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle. The man declares, I am weary, O God; I am weary, O God, and worn out. | 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh--an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail. |
| 2Surely I am too stupid to be a man. I have not the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. |
| 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name? Surely you know! | 4Who 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! |
| 5Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | 5"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
| 6Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
| 7Two things I ask of you; deny them not to me before I die: | 7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: |
| 8Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, | 8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. |
| 9lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. | 9Otherwise, 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. |
| 10Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty. | 10"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
| 11There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. | 11"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; |
| 12There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. | 12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; |
| 13There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! | 13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; |
| 14There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind. | 14those whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are set with knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. Three things are never satisfied; four never say, “Enough”: | 15"The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': |
| 16Sheol, the barren womb, the land never satisfied with water, and the fire that never says, “Enough.” | 16the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!' |
| 17The eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother will be picked out by the ravens of the valley and eaten by the vultures. | 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. |
| 18Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: | 18"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: |
| 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin. | 19the 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. |
| 20This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, “I have done no wrong.” | 20"This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' |
| 21Under three things the earth trembles; under four it cannot bear up: | 21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: |
| 22a slave when he becomes king, and a fool when he is filled with food; | 22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, |
| 23an unloved woman when she gets a husband, and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress. | 23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. |
| 24Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: | 24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
| 25the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; | 25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; | 26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; |
| 27the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; | 27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; |
| 28the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces. | 28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. |
| 29Three things are stately in their tread; four are stately in their stride: | 29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: |
| 30the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; | 30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; |
| 31the strutting rooster, the he-goat, and a king whose army is with him. | 31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. |
| 32If you have been foolish, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil, put your hand on your mouth. | 32"If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! |
| 33For pressing milk produces curds, pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife. | 33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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