Study Desk

The words of Agur son of Jakeh. The oracle.^[a](a) The man's oration to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:^[b]

I am more stupid than any other man,^[c] and I lack man's ability to understand.^(b)

I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.^(c)

Who has gone up to heaven and come down?^(d) Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak?^(e) Who has established all the ends of the earth?^(f) What is His name, and what is the name of His Son— if you know?^(g)

Every word of God is pure;^[d](h) He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.⁽ⁱ⁾

Don't add to His words,^(j) or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar.^(k)

Two things I ask of You; don't deny them to me before I die:

Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth; feed me with the food I need.^(l)

Otherwise, I might have too much^(m) and deny You,⁽ⁿ⁾ saying, "Who is the Lord ?"^(o) or I might have nothing and steal,^(p) profaning^[e] the name of my God.^(q)

Don't slander a servant to his master or he will curse you,^(r) and you will become guilty.

There is a generation that curses its father and does not bless its mother.^(s)

There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,^(t) yet is not washed from its filth.

There is a generation—how haughty its eyes and pretentious its looks.^[f]

There is a generation whose teeth are swords,^(u) whose fangs are knives,^(v) devouring the oppressed from the land^(w) and the needy from among mankind.

The leech has two daughters: "Give, Give!" Three things^(x) are never satisfied; four never say, "Enough!":

Sheol;^(y) a childless womb;^(z) earth, which is never satisfied with water; and fire, which never says, "Enough!"

As for the eye that ridicules a father^(aa) and despises obedience to a mother, may ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures eat it.^(ab)

Three things are beyond me; four I can't understand:

the 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 young woman.

This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, "I've done nothing wrong."^(ac)

The earth trembles under three things; it cannot bear up under four:

a servant when he becomes king,^(ad) a fool when he is stuffed with food,

an unloved woman when she marries,^(ae) and a servant girl when she ousts her queen.

Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise:

the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer;^(af)

hyraxes are not a mighty people, yet they make their homes in the cliffs;^(ag)

locusts have no king, yet all of them march in ranks;^(ah)

a lizard^[g] can be caught in your hands, yet it lives in kings' palaces.

Three things are stately in their stride, even four are stately in their walk:

a lion, which is mightiest among beasts and doesn't retreat before anything,

a strutting rooster,^[h] a goat, and a king at the head of his army.^[i]

If you have been foolish by exalting yourself or if you've been scheming, put your hand over your mouth.^(ai)

For the churning of milk produces butter, and twisting a nose draws blood, and stirring up anger produces strife.^(aj)