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. {have: Heb. know}

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. {pure: Heb. purified}

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: {deny...: Heb. withhold not from me}

8. Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: {convenient...: Heb. of my allowance}

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}. {deny...: Heb. belie thee}

10. Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. {Accuse...: Heb. Hurt not with thy tongue}

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: {It is...: Heb. Wealth}

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. {the valley: or, the brook}

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. {midst: Heb. heart}

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: {exceeding...: Heb. wise, made 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; {by...: Heb. gathered together}

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. {greyhound: or, horse: Heb. girt in the loins}

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.