¹ The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, even his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.

² Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.

³ I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most Holy.

⁴ Who hath gone up into heaven and come down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound up the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what his son’s name, if thou knowest?

⁵ Every word of God is pure; A shield is he to them that put their trust in him.

⁶ Add not to his words, Lest he rebuke thee, and thou be found a liar.

⁷ Two things do I ask of thee; Withhold them not from me, before I die!

⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food which 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 violate the name of my God.

¹⁰ Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.

¹¹ There is a class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.

¹² There is a class who are pure in their own eyes, And yet are not washed from their filthiness.

¹³ There is a class,—O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids lifted up!

¹⁴ There is a class, whose teeth are swords, And their jaw-teeth knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, And the needy from among men.

¹⁵ The vampire hath two daughters; "Give! give!" [is their cry.] There are three things which are never satisfied; Yea, four which say not, "Enough!"

¹⁶ The underworld, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not satiated with water, And fire, which never saith, "It is enough!"

¹⁷ The eye that mocketh at a father, And scorneth to obey a mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁸ These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand not:

¹⁹ The track of an eagle in the air, The track of a serpent upon a rock, The track of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the track 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 nothing wrong."

²¹ Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:

²² Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with bread;

²³ Under an odious woman when she becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.

²⁴ There are four things which are small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.

²⁵ The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.

²⁶ The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make their houses in the rocks.

²⁷ The locusts have no king, Yet do they all go forth in bands.

²⁸ The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king’s palaces.

²⁹ These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:

³⁰ The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;

³¹ The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.

³² If thou hast been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on thy mouth!

³³ For, as the pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese, And as the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood, So the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.