¶ The words of Agur¹ the son of Jakeh, even² the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,

Surely I am³ more brutish⁴ than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

I neither⁵ learned wisdom, nor⁶ have⁷ the knowledge of the holy.

Who hath ascended⁸ up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered⁹ 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 name¹⁰, and what¹¹ is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Every word¹² of God is pure¹³: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Add¹⁴ thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and¹⁵ thou be found a liar.

¶ Two things have¹⁶ I required of thee; deny me them not¹⁷ before I die:

Remove¹⁸ far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed¹⁹ me with food convenient for me²⁰:

Lest I be full²¹, and deny thee,²² and say, Who is the LORD? or²³ lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name²⁴ of my God in vain.

¶ Accuse not²⁵ a servant unto his master, lest²⁶ he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

There is a generation²⁷ that curseth²⁸ their father, and doth²⁹ not bless their mother.

There is a generation that are³⁰ pure in their own eyes, and yet is not³¹ washed from their filthiness.

³²There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

There is a generation, whose³³ teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour³⁴ the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

¶ The horseleach³⁵ hath two daughters, crying, Give³⁶, give. There³⁷ are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough³⁸:

³⁹The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

The eye⁴⁰ that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens⁴¹ of the valley⁴² shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

¶ There be three things which are too⁴³ wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

The way of an⁴⁴ eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst⁴⁵ of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.

¶⁴⁶Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.

For three⁴⁷ things the earth is disquieted⁴⁸, and for four which it cannot bear⁴⁹:

For a servant⁵⁰ when he reigneth; and a fool⁵¹ when he is filled with meat;

For an odious⁵² woman when she is married; and an handmaid⁵³ that is heir to her mistress.

¶ There be four things which are little⁵⁴ upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise⁵⁵:

⁵⁶The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

¶⁶²There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

¶ A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

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.