he words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the oracle: the man spake, I am weary, O God: I am weary, and I faint.
. .2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.
. .3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the Holy One.
. .4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name? Tell me, if thou canst!
. .5 Every word of God is true: he is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.
. .6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
. .7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:
. .8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is needful for me:
. .9 Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God.
. .10 Slander thou not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
. .11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
. .12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.
. .13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up proudly.
. .14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.
. .15 The leech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:
. .16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is never filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.
. .17 The eye that mocketh at its father, and despiseth to obey its mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
. .18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I comprehend not:
. .19 The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.
. .20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.
. .21 For three things the earth trembleth: yea, for four things it cannot bear up:
. .22 For a servant when he becometh king; and a fool when he is filled with meat;
. .23 For an hateful woman when she is married; and an handmaid when she supplanteth her mistress.
. .24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:
. .25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
. .26 The coneys are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
. .27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by ranks;
. .28 The lizard thou canst hold with thy hands, yet it is in the palaces of kings.
. .29 There be three things which walk stately; yea, four go forth in majesty:
. .30 A lion which is mighty among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
. .31 A strutting cock; an he goat also; and a king, before his host.
. .32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.
. .33 For as the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.