1 ARST { These are} the sayings of Agur son of Jakeh, which Yahweh told him to say;{ these are what} Agur declared to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal: BSB BSB: These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.
2 ARST I am certainly less intelligent than other people. Indeed, I do not understand as much as everyone else understands! BSB BSB: Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
3 ARST I have never learned about what is wise, nor do I know about{ Yahweh,} the Holy One. BSB BSB: I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 ARST Surely nobody has ever gone to heaven and returned to earth! Surely nobody has ever controlled the wind! Surely nobody has ever gathered the water for rain in the clouds! Surely nobody has ever formed the boundaries of the earth!{ If such a person exists, then} what is his name? And what is the name of his son? Surely you do not know{ about such a person}! BSB BSB: Who has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!
5 ARST Everything that God says is true; he is{ like} a shield that protects people who trust him to protect them. BSB BSB: Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 ARST Never claim that God has said something other than what he has{ actually} said. If you do that, then he will correct you and he will prove that you lied{ about what he said}. BSB BSB: Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.
7 ARST I ask Yahweh for two things, and ask that he give them to me before I die: BSB BSB: Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:
8 ARST { I ask that he} prevent me from being dishonest or speaking what is not true.{ I also ask that he} not let me become too poor or too rich,{ but} just provide the proper amount of food for me. BSB BSB: Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.
9 ARST If I become too rich, then I may reject Yahweh and claim that I do not know him. Or if I become too poor, then I may rob{ other people}, so that I dishonor my God. BSB BSB: Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.
10 ARST Never say bad things about servants to the people whom they serve. If you do, then they will curse you, and people will hold you responsible{ for what you said}. BSB BSB: Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
11 ARST Some people frequently curse their parents. BSB BSB: There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 ARST Some people think they are sinless, but they are{ actually guilty like} people who have not cleaned off their filth. BSB BSB: There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
13 ARST Some people are extremely arrogant! BSB BSB: There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
14 ARST Some people{ harshly oppress poor people as if they} were animals who remove poor people from the world by eating them up with very sharp teeth. BSB BSB: there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men.
15 ARST { Greedy people are like} animals that suck blood and have two daughters.{ The names of both of them are} Give Me Some! There are three, no, four things that always want more: BSB BSB: The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:
16 ARST the place where dead people are, childless women, soil that never receives enough water, and fire, which always needs something to burn. BSB BSB: Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’
17 ARST People who ridicule their fathers, and refuse to obey their mothers{ will die and} wild birds will pluck out their eyes, and young scavenging birds will eat them. BSB BSB: As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.
18 ARST There are three, no, four things that are too amazing for me to comprehend: BSB BSB: There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19 ARST how birds fly in the air, how snakes slither over rocks, how ships sail in the middle of the ocean, and how young men act{ lovingly} with young women. BSB BSB: 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 maiden.
20 ARST Acting adulterously is{ as easy} for adulterous women as eating, wiping their mouths, and claiming that they have not sinned at all. BSB BSB: This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 ARST There are three, no, four things that{ the people in} the world cannot tolerate: BSB BSB: Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
22 ARST when slaves become rulers, when fools have plenty of food to eat, BSB BSB: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
23 ARST when women whom people hate marry someone, and when servant girls replace the wives of their masters. BSB BSB: an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
24 ARST There are four creatures in the world that are small but extremely wise: BSB BSB: Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 ARST Although ants are weak insects, during the right time they store their food{ to eat during the winter}. BSB BSB: The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 ARST Although hyraxes are weak animals, they make their homes{ among the rocks} on cliffs. BSB BSB: the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 ARST Although locusts do not have a king, they move in orderly groups like soldiers in an army. BSB BSB: the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
28 ARST Although lizards are small enough to hold in your hands, you can find them inside kings’ palaces. BSB BSB: and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.
29 ARST There are three, no, four things that look very impressive when they walk: BSB BSB: There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:
30 ARST lions, which are the most powerful animals and never flee from anything, BSB BSB: a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
31 ARST strutting male birds, male goats, and kings whom people are afraid to rebel against. BSB BSB: a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
32 ARST If you have acted foolishly by bragging about yourself, or if you were plotting{ to do what is evil}, then stop doing so immediately! BSB BSB: If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 ARST { Stop doing so} because{ doing so will cause bad things to happen to you,} just as churning milking turns it into butter, squeezing a nose will make it bleed, and making people angry causes them to fight. BSB BSB: For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.