1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh , even the prophecy : the man spake unto Ithiel , even unto Ithiel and Ucal ,
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 .
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven , or 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 , if thou canst tell ?
5 Every word of God is pure : he is a shield unto them that put their trust 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 vanity and lies : give me neither poverty nor riches ; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 Lest I be full , and deny thee , and say, Who is the LORD ? or lest I be poor , and steal , and take the name of my God in vain .
10 Accuse 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.
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 horseleach 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 not filled with water ; and the fire that saith not, It is enough .
17 The eye that mocketh at his father , and despiseth to obey his 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 know 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 wickedness .
21 For three things the earth is disquieted , and for four which it cannot bear :
22 For a servant when he reigneth ; and a fool when he is filled with meat ;
23 For an odious woman when she is married ; and an handmaid that is heir to 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 conies 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 bands ;
28 The spider taketh hold with her hands , and is in kings’ palaces .
29 There be three things which go well , yea, four are comely in going :
30 A lion which is strongest among beasts , and turneth not away for any;
31 A greyhound ; an he goat also ; and a king , against whom there is no rising up.
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself , or if thou hast thought evil , lay thine hand upon thy mouth .
33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter , and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood : so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife .