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¹ The words of Agur, son of Yakeh, the oracle.
    Thus says the man to Ithiel, to Ithiel, and Ucal:^[a]
2 Certainly I am more stupid than a man,
    and the understanding of humankind is not for me.
³ And I have not learned wisdom,
    nor will I know knowledge of the Holy One.^[b]
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of his hand?
    Who has wrapped water in a^[c] garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
    What is his name and what is the name of his child?
    For surely you know.
⁵ Every word of God is flawless;
    he is a shield for him who takes refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add to his words
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.
⁷ Two things I ask from you;
    do not deny me before I die:
⁸ Keep falsehood and a lying word^[d] far from me;
    do not give me poverty or wealth;
    provide me with food only for my need.
⁹ Or else I will be satisfied and will deny him
    and say "Who is Yahweh?"
Or^[e] I will be poor and will steal
    and profane the name of my God.
¹⁰ Do not slander a servant to his master,
    or else he will curse you and you will be guilty.
¹¹ There is a generation that will curse its father,
    and its mother it will not bless.
¹² There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
    but from its filthiness it will not be cleansed.
¹³ There is a generation—how lofty are their eyes!
    And their eyelids they will lift.
¹⁴ There is a generation whose teeth are swords,
    and its jawbones, knives,
in order to devour the poor from the earth^[f]
    and the needy from humankind.
¹⁵ For the leech, there are two daughters;
    "Give, give!" they cry.
As for three of these, they are not satisfied;
    as for four, they do not say enough.
¹⁶ Sheol^[g] and barrenness of womb,
    the land is not satisfied with water,
    and fire does not say "enough!"
¹⁷ The eye that mocks a father
    and scorns the obedience of a mother—
the ravens of the valley will peck it out,
    and the offspring of vultures will eat it.
¹⁸ Three of these are too wonderful for me,
    and four, I do not understand them:
¹⁹ the way of the eagle in the sky,
    the way of a snake on a rock,
    the way of a ship in the heart of the sea,
    and the way of a man with a young woman.
²⁰ This is the way of a woman committing adultery:
    she eats and wipes her mouth,
    and says "I have not done wrong."
²¹ Under three things the earth^[h] trembles,
    and under four, it is not able to bear up:
²² under a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is satisfied with food;
²³ under an unloved woman when she gets married,
    and a maid when she succeeds her mistress.
²⁴ There are four small things on the earth,
    and they are exceedingly wise:^[i]
25 The ants are a people who are not strong,
    yet they prepare their food in the summer;
²⁶ the badgers are a people who are not mighty,
    yet they set their house on the rock;
²⁷ there is no king for the locust,
    yet it marches in rank;
²⁸ a lizard you can seize with hands,
    yet it is in palaces of kings.
²⁹ There are three things that are magnificent of stride,
    and four that are magnificent when moving:
³⁰ a mighty lion among the beasts,^[j]
    but he will not turn back from any face;^[k]
31 a strutting rooster or he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.
³² If you have been foolish by exalting yourself,
    and if you have devised evil, put your hand to your mouth.
³³ For pressing milk produces curd,
    and pressing the nose produces blood,
    so pressing anger^[l] produces strife.