| 1: The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the
man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, |
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| 2: Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the
understanding of a man. |
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| 3:
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
|
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| 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? |
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| 5: Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put
their trust in him. |
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| 6: Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be
found a liar. |
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| 7: Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I
die: |
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| 8: Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty
nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: |
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| 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. |
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| 10: Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and
thou be found guilty. |
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| 11: There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not
bless their mother. |
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| 12: There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and
yet is not washed from their filthiness. |
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| 13: There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their
eyelids are lifted up. |
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| 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. |
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| 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: |
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| 16: The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled
with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. |
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| 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. |
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| 18: There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea,
four which I know not: |
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| 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. |
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| 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: |
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| 22: For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled
with meat; |
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| 23: For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that
is heir to her mistress. |
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| 24: There be four things which are little upon the earth, but
they are exceeding wise: |
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| 25: The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat
in the summer; |
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| 26: The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses
in the rocks; |
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| 27: The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by
bands; |
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| 28: The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings'
palaces. |
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| 29: There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in
going: |
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| 30: A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away
for any; |
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| 31: A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there
is no rising up. |
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| 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. |
