The Wisdom of Agur

30 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 aSurely I am more stupid than any man,

And do not have the understanding of a man.

3 I neither learned wisdom

Nor have bknowledge of the Holy One.

4 cWho has ascended into heaven, or descended?

dWho has gathered the wind in His fists?

Who has bound the waters in a garment?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is His name, and what is His Son’s name,

If you know?

5 eEvery word of God is 1pure;

fHe is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.

6 gDo not add to His words,

Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

7 Two things I request of You

(Deprive me not before I die):

8 Remove falsehood and lies far from me;

Give me neither poverty nor riches—

hFeed me with the food allotted to me;

9 iLest I be full and deny You,

And say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or lest I be poor and steal,

And profane the name of my God.

10 Do not malign a servant to his master,

Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.

11 There is a generation that curses its jfather,

And does not bless its mother.

12 There is a generation kthat is pure in its own eyes,

Yet is not washed from its filthiness.

13 There is a generation—oh, how llofty are their eyes!

And their eyelids are 2lifted up.

14 mThere is a generation whose teeth are like swords,

And whose fangs are like knives,

nTo devour the poor from off the earth,

And the needy from among men.

15 The leech has two daughters—

Give and Give!

There are three things that are never satisfied,

Four never say, “Enough!”:

16 oThe 3grave,

The barren womb,

The earth that is not satisfied with water—

And the fire never says, “Enough!”

17 pThe eye that mocks his father,

And scorns obedience to his mother,

The ravens of the valley will pick it out,

And the young eagles will eat it.

18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me,

Yes, four which I do not understand:

19 The way of an eagle in the air,

The way of a serpent on a rock,

The way of a ship in the 4midst of the sea,

And the way of a man with a virgin.

20 This is the way of an adulterous woman:

She eats and wipes her mouth,

And says, “I have done no wickedness.”

21 For three things the earth is perturbed,

Yes, for four it cannot bear up:

22 qFor a servant when he reigns,

A fool when he is filled with food,

23 A 5hateful woman when she is married,

And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.

24 There are four things which are little on the earth,

But they are exceedingly wise:

25 rThe ants are a people not strong,

Yet they prepare their food in the summer;

26 sThe 6rock badgers are a feeble folk,

Yet they make their homes in the crags;

27 The locusts have no king,

Yet they all advance in ranks;

28 The 7spider skillfully grasps with its hands,

And it is in kings’ palaces.

29 There are three things which are majestic in pace,

Yes, four which are stately in walk:

30 A lion, which is mighty among beasts

And does not turn away from any;

31 A 8greyhound,

A male goat also,

And 9a king whose troops are with him.

32 If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,

Or if you have devised evil, tput your hand on your mouth.

33 For as the churning of milk produces butter,

And wringing the nose produces blood,

So the forcing of wrath produces strife.

The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother

31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

2 What, my son?

And what, son of my womb?

And what, ason of my vows?

3 bDo not give your strength to women,

Nor your ways cto that which destroys kings.

4 dIt is not for kings, O Lemuel,

It is not for kings to drink wine,

Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

5 eLest they drink and forget the law,

And pervert the justice of all 1the afflicted.

6 fGive strong drink to him who is perishing,

And wine to those who are bitter of heart.

7 Let him drink and forget his poverty,

And remember his misery no more.

8 gOpen your mouth for the speechless,

In the cause of all who are 2appointed to die.

9 Open your mouth, hjudge righteously,

And iplead the cause of the poor and needy.

The Virtuous Wife

10 jWho 3can find a 4virtuous wife?

For her worth is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her;

So he will have no lack of gain.

12 She does him good and not evil

All the days of her life.

13 She seeks wool and flax,

And willingly works with her hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,

She brings her food from afar.

15 kShe also rises while it is yet night,

And lprovides food for her household,

And a portion for her maidservants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

From 5her profits she plants a vineyard.

17 She girds herself with strength,

And strengthens her arms.

18 She perceives that her merchandise is good,

And her lamp does not go out by night.

19 She stretches out her hands to the distaff,

And her hand holds the spindle.

20 mShe extends her hand to the poor,

Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,

For all her household is clothed with scarlet.

22 She makes tapestry for herself;

Her clothing is fine linen and purple.

23 nHer husband is known in the gates,

When he sits among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

And supplies sashes for the merchants.

25 Strength and honor are her clothing;

She shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,

And on her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She watches over the ways of her household,

And does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;

Her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many daughters have done well,

But you excel them all.”

30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,

But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,

And let her own works praise her in the gates.

Ecclesiastes

The Vanity of Life

1 The words of the Preacher, the son of David, aking in Jerusalem.

2 “Vanity b 1of vanities,” says the Preacher;

“Vanity of vanities, call is vanity.”

3 dWhat profit has a man from all his labor

In which he 2toils under the sun?

4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;

eBut the earth abides forever.

5 fThe sun also rises, and the sun goes down,

And 3hastens to the place where it arose.

6 gThe wind goes toward the south,

And turns around to the north;

The wind whirls about continually,

And comes again on its circuit.

7 hAll the rivers run into the sea,

Yet the sea is not full;

To the place from which the rivers come,

There they return again.

8 All things are 4full of labor;

Man cannot express it.

iThe eye is not satisfied with seeing,

Nor the ear filled with hearing.

9 jThat which has been is what will be,

That which is done is what will be done,

And there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which it may be said,

“See, this is new”?

It has already been in ancient times before us.

11 There is kno remembrance of former things,

Nor will there be any remembrance of things that are to come

By those who will come after.