New International Version | New Living Translation |
1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh--an inspired utterance. This man's utterance to Ithiel: "I am weary, God, but I can prevail. | 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. |
2Surely I am only a brute, not a man; I do not have human understanding. | 2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. |
3I have not learned wisdom, nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. |
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! | 4Who 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 flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. | 5Every word of God proves true. He is a shield to all who come to him for protection. |
6Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar. | 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. |
7"Two things I ask of you, LORD; do not refuse me before I die: | 7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. |
8Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. | 8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. |
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. | 9For 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"Do not slander a servant to their master, or they will curse you, and you will pay for it. | 10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. |
11"There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers; | 11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. |
12those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth; | 12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. |
13those whose eyes are ever so haughty, whose glances are so disdainful; | 13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. |
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. | 14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. |
15"The leech has two daughters. 'Give! Give!' they cry. "There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, 'Enough!': | 15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”: |
16the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, 'Enough!' | 16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. |
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. | 17The 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"There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: | 18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand: |
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. | 19how 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"This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.' | 20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” |
21"Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: | 21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure: |
22a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, | 22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, |
23a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress. | 23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. |
24"Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: | 24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: |
25Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; | 25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. |
26hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; | 26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. |
27locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; | 27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. |
28a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings' palaces. | 28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. |
29"There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: | 29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about: |
30a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; | 30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, |
31a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt. | 31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. |
32"If you play the fool and exalt yourself, or if you plan evil, clap your hand over your mouth! | 32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. |
33For as churning cream produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." | 33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. |
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. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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