| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: | 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: |
| 2Surely I am more stupid than any man, And do not have the understanding of a man. | 2Surely I am beyond the senselessness of any man; I do not perceive things the way human beings do. |
| 3I neither learned wisdom Nor have knowledge of the Holy One. | 3I never acquired wisdom, but I know what the Holy One knows. |
| 4Who has ascended into heaven, or descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound 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, If you know? | 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! |
| 5Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. | 5Everything God says is pure; he is a shield for those who take refuge in him. |
| 6Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. | 6Don't add to his words, or he will rebuke you, and you will be shown to be a liar. |
| 7Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die): | 7God, I have asked you for two things— don't refuse me before I die— |
| 8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me; | 8Keep deception and lies far away from me, and give me neither poverty nor wealth. Feed me with food that I need for today, |
| 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. | 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. |
| 10Do not malign a servant to his master, Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty. | 10Don't lie about a servant to his master, or that servant will curse you and you will pay for it. |
| 11There is a generation that curses its father, And does not bless its mother. | 11Some people curse their fathers and won't bless their mothers. |
| 12There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, Yet is not washed from its filthiness. | 12Some people view themselves as pure, but haven't been cleansed from their own filth. |
| 13There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up. | 13Some people —what an arrogant look they have!— raise their eyebrows haughtily. |
| 14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, And whose fangs are like knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men. | 14Some people have swords for teeth and knives for fangs to devour the afflicted from the earth and the needy from among mankind. |
| 15The leech has two daughters— Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, “Enough!”: | 15The leech has two daughters: "Give" and "Give". Three things will never be satisfied; four will never say "Enough"— |
| 16The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water— And the fire never says, “Enough!” | 16The afterlife, the barren womb, earth that still demands water, and fire—they never say, "Enough". |
| 17The eye that mocks his father, And scorns obedience to his mother, The ravens of the valley will pick it out, And the young eagles will eat it. | 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. |
| 18There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yes, four which I do not understand: | 18Three things cause wonder for me; four are beyond my understanding: |
| 19The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the way of a man with a virgin. | 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. |
| 20This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” | 20This is what an immoral woman is like: she eats, wipes her mouth, then says "I've done nothing wrong." |
| 21For three things the earth is perturbed, Yes, for four it cannot bear up: | 21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot remain steady: |
| 22For a servant when he reigns, A fool when he is filled with food, | 22Under a slave when he becomes a king, a fool when he is overfed, |
| 23A hateful woman when she is married, And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress. | 23an unloved woman when she finds a husband, and a servant girl who inherits from her mistress. |
| 24There are four things which are little on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, but they are very, very wise: |
| 25The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; | 25Ants aren't a strong species, yet they prepare their food in the summer. |
| 26The rock badgers are a feeble folk, Yet they make their homes in the crags; | 26The rock badgers aren't a strong species either, yet they build their dens in the rocks. |
| 27The locusts have no king, Yet they all advance in ranks; | 27Locusts have no king, but they all swarm in ranks. |
| 28The spider skillfully grasps with its hands, And it is in kings’ palaces. | 28Spiders can be caught by the hand, yet they're found in kings' palaces. |
| 29There are three things which are majestic in pace, Yes, four which are stately in walk: | 29Three things are stately in procession, four which are stately in their gait: |
| 30A lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn away from any; | 30The lion, mighty among the beasts, retreats before nothing. |
| 31A greyhound, A male goat also, And a king whose troops are with him. | 31The strutting rooster, as well as the goat, and a king with his army. |
| 32If you have been foolish in exalting yourself, Or if you have devised evil, put your hand on your mouth. | 32If you've foolishly exalted yourself or if you've plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. |
| 33For as the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood, So the forcing of wrath produces strife. | 33Just as whipping milk produces butter, and twisting the nose causes bleeding, so also stirring up anger produces contention. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
|