| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh contain this message. I am weary, O God; I am weary and worn out, O God. | 1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out. |
| 2I am too stupid to be human, and I lack common sense. | 2Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man. |
| 3I have not mastered human wisdom, nor do I know the Holy One. | 3I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. |
| 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! | 4Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His 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 all who come to him for protection. | 5Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. |
| 6Do not add to his words, or he may rebuke you and expose you as a liar. | 6Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar. |
| 7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. | 7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die: |
| 8First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. | 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. |
| 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. | 9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God. |
| 10Never slander a worker to the employer, or the person will curse you, and you will pay for it. | 10Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt. |
| 11Some people curse their father and do not thank their mother. | 11There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. |
| 12They are pure in their own eyes, but they are filthy and unwashed. | 12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth. |
| 13They look proudly around, casting disdainful glances. | 13There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances— |
| 14They have teeth like swords and fangs like knives. They devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. | 14there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men. |
| 15The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied— no, four that never say, “Enough!”: | 15The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: |
| 16the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. | 16Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’ |
| 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. | 17As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it. |
| 18There are three things that amaze me— no, four things that I don’t understand: | 18There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand: |
| 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. | 19the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden. |
| 20An adulterous woman consumes a man, then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?” | 20This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’ |
| 21There are three things that make the earth tremble— no, four it cannot endure: | 21Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: |
| 22a slave who becomes a king, an overbearing fool who prospers, | 22a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food, |
| 23a bitter woman who finally gets a husband, a servant girl who supplants her mistress. | 23an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress. |
| 24There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise: | 24Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise: |
| 25Ants—they aren’t strong, but they store up food all summer. | 25The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; |
| 26Hyraxes —they aren’t powerful, but they make their homes among the rocks. | 26the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks; |
| 27Locusts—they have no king, but they march in formation. | 27the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation; |
| 28Lizards—they are easy to catch, but they are found even in kings’ palaces. | 28and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings. |
| 29There are three things that walk with stately stride— no, four that strut about: | 29There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk: |
| 30the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything, | 30a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything; |
| 31the strutting rooster, the male goat, a king as he leads his army. | 31a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him. |
| 32If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil, cover your mouth in shame. | 32If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth. |
| 33As the beating of cream yields butter and striking the nose causes bleeding, so stirring up anger causes quarrels. | 33For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.” |
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