The Words of Agur 1 UDB These are sayings containing wisdom, the sayings of Agur son of Jakeh. Agur wrote them for Ithiel, yes, to Ithiel and to 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 UDB I am more like an animal than any human being! I lack the understanding that a human being has! BSB BSB: Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.
3 UDB I have not learned about wisdom; I do not know Yahweh, the Holy One. BSB BSB: I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.
4 UDB Who has ever gone up to heaven and come back down again? Who can catch the wind in his hand? Who can gather up the waters in an overcoat? Who set the limits to the size of the earth? What is his name? And what is the name of his son? Do you know? 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 UDB Every word of God is proven by a test that it is true; he is like a shield that protects those who run to him. BSB BSB: Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
6 UDB Be careful not to add to Yahweh's words more than he has said; if you do that, 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 UDB I ask Yahweh for two things, and 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 UDB Put vain pride and lies far away from me and do not give me poverty or riches; just give me the food I need every day. 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 UDB For if I have too much money, it is possible that I will deny my God and say, "Who is Yahweh?" Or it is possible that I will become so poor that I steal from others and bring disgrace on the name of 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 UDB Do not speak badly about a slave when he is standing before his master; if you do, he will curse you and you will be responsible; you brought it on yourself. BSB BSB: Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.
11 UDB There are many people who curse their fathers and they do not praise their mothers or thank them; BSB BSB: There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.
12 UDB those people think everything they do should not be criticized, but really they have never been cleansed from their filth. BSB BSB: There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
13 UDB These people show how proud they are in their eyes; they make people look at them and they show their pride in their faces! BSB BSB: There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—
14 UDB There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jawbones are like knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity. 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 UDB There are leeches that suck blood; imagine they had two daughters; they say, "Give to us! Give to us!" There are four things that are never satisfied— they 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 UDB the grave, the place of the dead; the womb of a woman that never conceived a child; soil that badly needs to be watered; and a fire that burns hot and never says, "The fire is hot enough!" BSB BSB: Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’
17 UDB The one who dishonors his father and who disrespects and disobeys his mother— such a person would be killed and have his eyes pecked out by crows and would be devoured by the vultures. 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 UDB There are three wonderful things I can mention; no, there are four that are too amazing and I cannot understand them: BSB BSB: There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:
19 UDB how eagles fly in the sky, how snakes move over a big rock, how ships can sail on the seas, and how a man is able to win the love of a woman. 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 UDB This is what a woman is like who is not faithful to her husband: she eats and then wipes her mouth and she says, "There is nothing wrong in what I have done." BSB BSB: This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
21 UDB There are four things that make the earth tremble: BSB BSB: Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:
22 UDB the earth trembles with a slave becomes a king, the earth trembles when a fool has eaten his food and is filled, BSB BSB: a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,
23 UDB the earth trembles when a woman who is hated by all gets married, and the earth trembles when the maid becomes the wife of her master. BSB BSB: an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.
24 UDB There are four creatures on the earth that are small but they are very wise. BSB BSB: Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:
25 UDB Ants are not strong, but they store up food during the summer in order to have it during the winter. BSB BSB: The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;
26 UDB Rock badgers also are not strong, but they make their homes among the rocks. BSB BSB: the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;
27 UDB Locusts do not have a king, but they march in rank like soldiers in the army. BSB BSB: the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;
28 UDB Lizards are very small and you can hold them in your hand, but they get 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 UDB There are four animals that walk with great pride and they are very impressive as they walk: BSB BSB: There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:
30 UDB lions, which are the strongest among wild animals and are not afraid of any of them; BSB BSB: a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;
31 UDB strutting roosters; male goats; and kings who stand with their soldiers beside them. BSB BSB: a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.
32 UDB If you have acted foolishly, exalting yourself, or if you have been planning to do something evil, put your hand over your mouth! Stop it! BSB BSB: If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.
33 UDB Just as when you churn milk and it produces butter, even so, if you hit someone hard on his nose, the result is that his nose will bleed; in the same way, when people are angry they will argue and 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.