The words of Agur
1These are the words that Agur said. He was the son of Jakeh and he came from the land of Massa. He talked to Ithiel and Ucal and he said:
2‘I was the stupidest person in the world,
and I didn't know what other people knew.
3I did not learn wisdom,
and I didn't understand what the holy God is like.
4Is there anyone who has gone up
to heaven and come back again?
Who can hold the wind in his hands?
Who has tied the water of the sea in his cloak?
Who has decided
how big the earth must be?
What is his name and what is his son's name?
Do you know who this is?
It is the Lord.
5Every word that God says is true.
He protects everyone who believes in Him.
6Don't try to say more than what He said.
He will tell you that you are wrong
and people will know
that you are telling lies.’
7‘Lord, I ask 2 things from You.
Please give them to me before I die.
8Take away everything in me
that wants to be false or wants to tell lies,
and don't make me poor or rich.
Just give me the food that I need.
9Because if I have too much,
maybe I will say:
“Who is the Lord? I don't know Him.”
And if I am poor, maybe I will steal
and disrespect the name of my God.’
10‘Don't say bad things
about a slave to his owner.
The slave will curse you
and you will suffer for it.
11There are people who curse their parents,
and don't bless them.
12There are people who think that
they are pure, but they are full of sin,
and they are like people
who have not washed themselves.
13There are people who are proud,
and they think they are better than other people.
14There are cruel people
who attack those
who can not protect themselves.
They want to kill poor people
and those who have nothing.’
Things that always want to have more
15‘There are people who always
want more and more,
like some insects that
always want to drink more blood.
There are 3 things that always
want to have more, and there are 4 things
that can never get enough:
16They are the graveyard,
a woman who has no children,
the ground that always wants more water,
and a fire that never says:
“I have had enough.”
17If someone mocks his parents
and he doesn't want to do what they say,
the ravens should come
and take out his eyes,
and the vultures should eat him.’
Things that are wonderful
18‘There are 3 things that are wonderful,
and there are 4 things that I don't understand:
19They are how an eagle
is able to stay in the sky,
how a snake can crawl over a rock,
how a boat can sail on the sea
and what happens when a man
falls in love with a girl.
20A woman who commits_adultery
is like someone who eats food
and wipes her mouth and says:
“I have done nothing wrong.” ’
Things that people don't like
21‘There are 3 things
that make the earth tremble,
and 4 things that people don't like:
22They are a slave who becomes a king,
a fool who has eaten too much,
23a bad woman whom everyone hates,
who later gets married,
and a servant girl who marries
the husband of the woman she works for.’
Things that have the most wisdom
24‘There are 4 things on earth
that are small but that are very wise:
25Ants are not strong,
but they store food in summer
for the whole year.
26Rock-rabbits are not strong
but they live among the rocks.
27Locusts don't have a king,
but they fly together in swarms.
28A lizard is small,
and you can catch it with your hand,
but some of them live
in the palaces of kings.’
Things that are proud
29‘There are 3 things that
seem to be very important,
and there are 4 things that walk
as if they are very important.
30They are: a lion that is stronger
than all other animals and that
does not have to run away from anyone,
31a proud cock, a goat-ram,
and a king who leads his soldiers.’
Things that make people angry
32‘If you have been foolish
or you thought that you were important,
then you must keep quiet
33because if you shake cream
for a long time, it becomes butter,
if you hit someone on his nose,
his nose will bleed,
and if you make people angry,
they will argue and fight.’
