Proverbs

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

1These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh. This is the message he spoke to Ithiel and Ucal.

NoteThe Hebrew of this verse is unclear. "Ithiel" and "Ucal" may be names, as the KJV takes them, or the words may mean something like "I am worn out, O God." Translators are divided.

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

2I am more like an animal than a man. I do not have the sense a person ought to have.

3I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

3I never learned wisdom, and I do not have knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who 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?

4Who has gone up to heaven and come back down? Who has held the wind in his fists? Who has wrapped the seas in a cloak? Who set up the whole earth? What is his name, and his son's name? Tell me, if you know.

5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

5Every word God says is pure and true. He is like a shield to everyone who trusts him.

6Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

6Do not add anything to what God has said. If you do, he will correct you and show you are a liar.

7Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die:

7God, I am asking you for two things. Please do not say no to me before I die.

8Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:

8Keep lies and empty words far away from me. Do not make me poor, and do not make me rich. Just give me the food I need.

9Lest 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.

9If I have too much, I might turn away and say, "Who is the LORD?" If I am poor, I might steal and shame the name of my God.

10Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

10Do not tell tales about a servant to his master. He will curse you, and you will be the one in the wrong.

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

11There are people who curse their fathers and never say a kind word about their mothers.

12There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

12There are people who think they are clean, but they have never been washed from their dirt.

13There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

13There are people who look down on everyone. Their eyes are proud, and their glances are full of scorn.

14There 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.

14There are people whose teeth are like swords and whose jaws are like knives. They eat up the poor and swallow the needy.

15The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough:

15The leech, a worm that sucks blood, has two daughters, and both cry, "Give! Give!" Three things are never satisfied, and four never say, "That is enough":

16The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough.

16the grave, a woman who cannot have children, dry ground that soaks up all the water, and fire, which never says, "That is enough."

17The 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.

17If someone makes fun of his father and refuses to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley will peck out his eye, and the young eagles will eat it.

18There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

18There are three things that amaze me, and four I cannot figure out:

19The 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.

19how an eagle flies through the sky, how a snake moves over a rock, how a ship sails through the open sea, and how a man is with a young woman.

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

20This is how a woman who cheats on her husband acts. She eats, wipes her mouth, and says, "I have done nothing wrong."

21For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

21Three things make the earth shake, and there are four it cannot put up with:

22For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;

22a servant who becomes king, and a fool who has all the food he wants,

23For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

23a woman nobody loves who finally marries, and a servant girl who takes her mistress's place.

24There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

24There are four creatures on earth that are small, but they are very wise:

25The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

25Ants are not strong, yet they store up their food all summer long.

26The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;

26Rock badgers are weak little animals, yet they make their homes among the rocks.

27The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

27Locusts have no king, yet they all march out together in order.

28The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.

28A lizard is small enough to catch in your hand, yet it lives in the palaces of kings.

NoteThe KJV says "spider," but the Hebrew word means a lizard or gecko, an animal small enough to be caught by hand yet found even inside royal palaces.

29There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going:

29There are three things that move with pride, and four that walk grandly:

30A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

30a lion, the strongest of animals, which backs away from nothing;

31A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

31a strutting rooster; a male goat; and a king with his army around him.

NoteThe KJV says "greyhound," but the Hebrew phrase means something like "girded in the loins." Most translators now think it describes a rooster strutting about.

32If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

32If you have been foolish and bragged about yourself, or if you have planned something evil, put your hand over your mouth.

33Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.

33Churning milk makes butter. Twisting a nose makes it bleed. In the same way, stirring up anger makes fighting.