International Standard Version | New International Version |
1A discourse by the faithful collector. This is what this valiant man declared to the God with me, to the God with me, who then prevailed: | 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 beyond the senselessness of any man; I do not perceive things the way human beings do. | 2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. |
3I never acquired wisdom, but I know what the Holy One knows. | 3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. |
4Who has ascended to heaven, and then descended? Who has collected the wind in his hands? Who has wrapped up waters in a garment? Who has established all the farthest points 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! |
5Everything God says is pure; he is a shield for those who take refuge in him. | 5"Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
6Don't add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will be shown to be a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
7God, I have asked you for two things— don't refuse me before I die— | 7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: |
8Keep deception and lies far away from me, and give me neither poverty nor wealth. Feed me with food that I need for today, | 8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. |
9so that I don't become overfed and deny you by saying, "Who is the LORD?" or so that I don't become poor and steal, and then misuse 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. |
10Don't lie about a servant to his master, or that servant will curse you and you will pay for it. | 10"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
11Some people curse their fathers and won't bless their mothers. | 11"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; |
12Some people view themselves as pure, but haven't been cleansed from their own filth. | 12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; |
13Some people —what an arrogant look they have!— raise their eyebrows haughtily. | 13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; |
14Some people have swords for teeth and knives for fangs to devour the afflicted from the earth and 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 will never be satisfied; four will 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!': |
16The afterlife, the barren womb, earth that still demands water, and fire—they never say, "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 looks with a disobedient attitude at a mother— the valley ravens will pluck it out; and vultures will eat it. | 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 cause wonder for me; four are beyond my understanding: | 18"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: |
19The way an eagle flies 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 young woman. | 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 what an immoral woman is like: she eats, wipes her mouth, then says "I've done nothing 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 remain steady: | 21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: |
22Under a slave when he becomes a king, a fool when he is overfed, | 22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, |
23an unloved woman when she finds a husband, and a servant girl who inherits from her mistress. | 23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. |
24Four things on earth are small, but they are very, very wise: | 24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: |
25Ants aren't a strong species, yet they prepare their food in the summer. | 25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
26The rock badgers aren't a strong species either, yet they build their dens in the rocks. | 26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; |
27Locusts have no king, but they all swarm in ranks. | 27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; |
28Spiders can be caught by the hand, yet they're found in kings' palaces. | 28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. |
29Three things are stately in procession, four which are stately in their gait: | 29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: |
30The lion, mighty among the beasts, retreats before nothing. | 30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; |
31The strutting rooster, as well as the goat, and a king with his army. | 31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. |
32If you've foolishly exalted yourself or if you've plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. | 32"If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! |
33Just as whipping milk produces butter, and twisting the nose causes bleeding, so also stirring up anger produces contention. | 33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | 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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