1 The words of Agur the son of Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,

2 "Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a common man.

3 Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.

4 Who was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou knowest it?"

5 Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those that put their trust in him.

6 Do not add aught unto his words: lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

7 Two things do I request of thee: deny them not to me before I die.

8 Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto me:

9 Lest I become over–full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against the name of my God.

10 Do not calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.

11 There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.

12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed clean of its filthiness.

13 There is a generation––O how lofty are its eyes! and its eyelids are so lifted up.

14 There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and whose string teeth are as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

15 Insatiability hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, Enough:

16 The nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, Enough.

17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.

18 Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and four, which I know not:

19 The way of the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wrong.

21 Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:

22 Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;

23 Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond–woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.

24 There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:

25 The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;

26 The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;

27 The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;

28 The spider thou canst catch with thy hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.

29 Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:

30 The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;

31 The light–legged greyhound, and the he–goat; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

32 If thou hast become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to thy mouth:

33 For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.