Sayings of Agur

¹The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh – an inspired utterance.

This man’s utterance to Ithiel:

‘I am weary, God,

but I can prevail.

²Surely I am only a brute, not a man;

I do not have human understanding.

³I have not learned wisdom,

nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴Who has gone up to heaven and come down?

Whose hands have gathered up the wind?

Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?

Who has established all the ends of the earth?

What is his name, and what is the name of his son?

Surely you know!

⁵‘Every word of God is flawless;

he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁶Do not add to his words,

or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.

⁷‘Two things I ask of you, Lord;

do not refuse me before I die:

⁸keep falsehood and lies far from me;

give me neither poverty nor riches,

but give me only my daily bread.

⁹Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you

and say, “Who is the Lord?”

Or I may become poor and steal,

and so dishonour the name of my God.

¹⁰‘Do not slander a servant to their master,

or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.

¹¹‘There are those who curse their fathers

and do not bless their mothers;

¹²those who are pure in their own eyes

and yet are not cleansed of their filth;

¹³those whose eyes are ever so haughty,

whose glances are so disdainful;

¹⁴those whose teeth are swords

and whose jaws are set with knives

to devour the poor from the earth

and the needy from among the human race.

¹⁵‘The leech has two daughters.

“Give! Give!” they cry.

‘There are three things that are never satisfied,

four that never say, “Enough!”:

¹⁶the grave

and the barren womb;

land, which is never satisfied with water,

and fire, which never says, “Enough!”

¹⁷‘The eye that mocks a father,

that scorns an aged mother,

will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,

will be eaten by the vultures.

¹⁸‘There are three things that are too amazing for me,

four that I do not understand:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky,

the way of a snake on a rock,

the way of a ship on the high seas,

and the way of a man with a young woman.

²⁰‘This is the way of an adulterous woman:

she eats and wipes her mouth

and says, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”

²¹‘Under three things the earth trembles,

under four it cannot bear up:

²²a servant who becomes king,

a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,

²³a contemptible woman who gets married,

and a servant who displaces her mistress.

²⁴‘Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

²⁵ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

²⁶hyraxes are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

²⁷locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

²⁸a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹‘There are three things that are stately in their stride,

four that move with stately bearing:

³⁰a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing;

³¹a strutting cock,

a he-goat,

and a king secure against revolt.

³²‘If you play the fool and exalt yourself,

or if you plan evil,

clap your hand over your mouth!

³³For as churning cream produces butter,

and as twisting the nose produces blood,

so stirring up anger produces strife.’

¹Whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes

will suddenly be destroyed – without remedy.

²When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice;

when the wicked rule, the people groan.

³A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,

but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

⁴By justice a king gives a country stability,

but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down.

⁵Those who flatter their neighbours

are spreading nets for their feet.

⁶Evildoers are snared by their own sin,

but the righteous shout for joy and are glad.

⁷The righteous care about justice for the poor,

but the wicked have no such concern.

⁸Mockers stir up a city,

but the wise turn away anger.

⁹If a wise person goes to court with a fool,

the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity

and seek to kill the upright.

¹¹Fools give full vent to their rage,

but the wise bring calm in the end.

¹²If a ruler listens to lies,

all his officials become wicked.

¹³The poor and the oppressor have this in common:

the Lord gives sight to the eyes of both.

¹⁴If a king judges the poor with fairness,

his throne will be established for ever.

¹⁵A rod and a reprimand impart wisdom,

but a child left undisciplined disgraces its mother.

¹⁶When the wicked thrive, so does sin,

but the righteous will see their downfall.

¹⁷Discipline your children, and they will give you peace;

they will bring you the delights you desire.

¹⁸Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint;

but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction.

¹⁹Servants cannot be corrected by mere words;

though they understand, they will not respond.

²⁰Do you see someone who speaks in haste?

There is more hope for a fool than for them.

²¹A servant pampered from youth

will turn out to be insolent.

²²An angry person stirs up conflict,

and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.

²³Pride brings a person low,

but the lowly in spirit gain honour.

²⁴The accomplices of thieves are their own enemies;

they are put under oath and dare not testify.

²⁵Fear of man will prove to be a snare,

but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.

²⁶Many seek an audience with a ruler,

but it is from the Lord that one gets justice.

²⁷The righteous detest the dishonest;

the wicked detest the upright.

Saying 20

¹Do not envy the wicked,

do not desire their company;

²for their hearts plot violence,

and their lips talk about making trouble.

Saying 21

³By wisdom a house is built,

and through understanding it is established;

⁴through knowledge its rooms are filled

with rare and beautiful treasures.

Saying 22

⁵The wise prevail through great power,

and those who have knowledge muster their strength.

⁶Surely you need guidance to wage war,

and victory is won through many advisors.

Saying 23

⁷Wisdom is too high for fools;

in the assembly at the gate they must not open their mouths.

Saying 24

⁸Whoever plots evil

will be known as a schemer.

⁹The schemes of folly are sin,

and people detest a mocker.

Saying 25

¹⁰If you falter in a time of trouble,

how small is your strength!

¹¹Rescue those being led away to death;

hold back those staggering towards slaughter.

¹²If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’

does not he who weighs the heart perceive it?

Does not he who guards your life know it?

Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?

Saying 26

¹³Eat honey, my son, for it is good;

honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.

¹⁴Know also that wisdom is like honey for you:

if you find it, there is a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Saying 27

¹⁵Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous,

do not plunder their dwelling-place;

¹⁶for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again,

but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

Saying 28

¹⁷Do not gloat when your enemy falls;

when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice,

¹⁸or the Lord will see and disapprove

and turn his wrath away from them.

Saying 29

¹⁹Do not fret because of evildoers

or be envious of the wicked,

²⁰for the evildoer has no future hope,

and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

Saying 30

²¹Fear the Lord and the king, my son,

and do not join with rebellious officials,

²²for those two will send sudden destruction on them,

and who knows what calamities they can bring?

Further sayings of the wise

²³These also are sayings of the wise:

To show partiality in judging is not good:

²⁴whoever says to the guilty, ‘You are innocent,’

will be cursed by peoples and denounced by nations.

²⁵But it will go well with those who convict the guilty,

and rich blessing will come on them.

²⁶An honest answer

is like a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Put your outdoor work in order

and get your fields ready;

after that, build your house.

²⁸Do not testify against your neighbour without cause –

would you use your lips to mislead?

²⁹Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me;

I’ll pay them back for what they did.’

³⁰I went past the field of a sluggard,

past the vineyard of someone who has no sense;

³¹thorns had come up everywhere,

the ground was covered with weeds,

and the stone wall was in ruins.

³²I applied my heart to what I observed

and learned a lesson from what I saw:

³³a little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest –

³⁴and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

Saying 7

¹When you sit to dine with a ruler,

note well what is before you,

²and put a knife to your throat

if you are given to gluttony.

³Do not crave his delicacies,

for that food is deceptive.

Saying 8

⁴Do not wear yourself out to get rich;

do not trust your own cleverness.

⁵Cast but a glance at riches, and they are gone,

for they will surely sprout wings

and fly off to the sky like an eagle.

Saying 9

⁶Do not eat the food of a stingy host,

do not crave his delicacies;

⁷for he is the kind of person

who is always thinking about the cost.

‘Eat and drink,’ he says to you,

but his heart is not with you.

⁸You will vomit up the little you have eaten

and will have wasted your compliments.

Saying 10

⁹Do not speak to fools,

for they will scorn your prudent words.

Saying 11

¹⁰Do not move an ancient boundary stone

or encroach on the fields of the fatherless,

¹¹for their Defender is strong;

he will take up their case against you.

Saying 12

¹²Apply your heart to instruction

and your ears to words of knowledge.

Saying 13

¹³Do not withhold discipline from a child;

if you punish them with the rod, they will not die.

¹⁴Punish them with the rod

and save them from death.

Saying 14

¹⁵My son, if your heart is wise,

then my heart will be glad indeed;

¹⁶my inmost being will rejoice

when your lips speak what is right.

Saying 15

¹⁷Do not let your heart envy sinners,

but always be zealous for the fear of the Lord.

¹⁸There is surely a future hope for you,

and your hope will not be cut off.

Saying 16

¹⁹Listen, my son, and be wise,

and set your heart on the right path:

²⁰do not join those who drink too much wine

or gorge themselves on meat,

²¹for drunkards and gluttons become poor,

and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Saying 17

²²Listen to your father, who gave you life,

and do not despise your mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth and do not sell it –

wisdom, instruction and insight as well.

²⁴The father of a righteous child has great joy;

a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.

²⁵May your father and mother rejoice;

may she who gave you birth be joyful!

Saying 18

²⁶My son, give me your heart

and let your eyes delight in my ways,

²⁷for an adulterous woman is a deep pit,

and a wayward wife is a narrow well.

²⁸Like a bandit she lies in wait

and multiplies the unfaithful among men.

Saying 19

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has strife? Who has complaints?

Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who linger over wine,

who go to sample bowls of mixed wine.

³¹Do not gaze at wine when it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup,

when it goes down smoothly!

³²In the end it bites like a snake

and poisons like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange sights,

and your mind will imagine confusing things.

³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas,

lying on top of the rigging.

³⁵‘They hit me,’ you will say, ‘but I’m not hurt!

They beat me, but I don’t feel it!

When will I wake up

so I can find another drink?’

¹A good name is more desirable than great riches;

to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

²Rich and poor have this in common:

The Lord is the Maker of them all.

³The prudent see danger and take refuge,

but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

⁴Humility is the fear of the Lord;

its wages are riches and honour and life.

⁵In the paths of the wicked are snares and pitfalls,

but those who would preserve their life stay far from them.

⁶Start children off on the way they should go,

and even when they are old they will not turn from it.

⁷The rich rule over the poor,

and the borrower is slave to the lender.

⁸Whoever sows injustice reaps calamity,

and the rod they wield in fury will be broken.

⁹The generous will themselves be blessed,

for they share their food with the poor.

¹⁰Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;

quarrels and insults are ended.

¹¹One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace

will have the king for a friend.

¹²The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,

but he frustrates the words of the unfaithful.

¹³The sluggard says, ‘There’s a lion outside!

I’ll be killed in the public square!’

¹⁴The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit;

a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.

¹⁵Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,

but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.

¹⁶One who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth

and one who gives gifts to the rich – both come to poverty.

Thirty sayings of the wise

Saying 1

¹⁷Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;

apply your heart to what I teach,

¹⁸for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart

and have all of them ready on your lips.

¹⁹So that your trust may be in the Lord,

I teach you today, even you.

²⁰Have I not written thirty sayings for you,

sayings of counsel and knowledge,

²¹teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,

so that you bring back truthful reports

to those you serve?

Saying 2

²²Do not exploit the poor because they are poor

and do not crush the needy in court,

²³for the Lord will take up their case

and will exact life for life.

Saying 3

²⁴Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,

do not associate with one easily angered,

²⁵or you may learn their ways

and get yourself ensnared.

Saying 4

²⁶Do not be one who shakes hands in pledge

or puts up security for debts;

²⁷if you lack the means to pay,

your very bed will be snatched from under you.

Saying 5

²⁸Do not move an ancient boundary stone

set up by your ancestors.

Saying 6

²⁹Do you see someone skilled in their work?

They will serve before kings;

they will not serve before officials of low rank.

¹Better the poor whose way of life is blameless

than a fool whose lips are perverse.

²Desire without knowledge is not good –

how much more will hasty feet miss the way!

³A person’s own folly leads to their ruin,

yet their heart rages against the Lord.

⁴Wealth attracts many friends,

but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.

⁵A false witness will not go unpunished,

and whoever pours out lies will not go free.

⁶Many curry favour with a ruler,

and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.

⁷The poor are shunned by all their relatives –

how much more do their friends avoid them!

Though the poor pursue them with pleading,

they are nowhere to be found.

⁸The one who gets wisdom loves life;

the one who cherishes understanding will soon prosper.

⁹A false witness will not go unpunished,

and whoever pours out lies will perish.

¹⁰It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury –

how much worse for a slave to rule over princes!

¹¹A person’s wisdom yields patience;

it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.

¹²A king’s rage is like the roar of a lion,

but his favour is like dew on the grass.

¹³A foolish child is a father’s ruin,

and a quarrelsome wife is like

the constant dripping of a leaky roof.

¹⁴Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,

but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

¹⁵Laziness brings on deep sleep,

and the shiftless go hungry.

¹⁶Whoever keeps commandments keeps their life,

but whoever shows contempt for their ways will die.

¹⁷Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord,

and he will reward them for what they have done.

¹⁸Discipline your children, for in that there is hope;

do not be a willing party to their death.

¹⁹A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;

rescue them, and you will have to do it again.

²⁰Listen to advice and accept discipline,

and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

²¹Many are the plans in a person’s heart,

but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.

²²What a person desires is unfailing love;

better to be poor than a liar.

²³The fear of the Lord leads to life;

then one rests content, untouched by trouble.

²⁴A sluggard buries his hand in the dish;

he will not even bring it back to his mouth!

²⁵Flog a mocker, and the simple will learn prudence;

rebuke the discerning, and they will gain knowledge.

²⁶Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother

is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

²⁷Stop listening to instruction, my son,

and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

²⁸A corrupt witness mocks at justice,

and the mouth of the wicked gulps down evil.

²⁹Penalties are prepared for mockers,

and beatings for the backs of fools.

¹A wise son heeds his father’s instruction,

but a mocker does not respond to rebukes.

²From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,

but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

³Those who guard their lips preserve their lives,

but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.

⁴A sluggard’s appetite is never filled,

but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.

⁵The righteous hate what is false,

but the wicked make themselves obnoxious

and bring shame on themselves.

⁶Righteousness guards the person of integrity,

but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

⁷One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;

another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

⁸A person’s riches may ransom their life,

but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes.

⁹The light of the righteous shines brightly,

but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

¹⁰Where there is strife, there is pride,

but wisdom is found in those who take advice.

¹¹Dishonest money dwindles away,

but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

¹²Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.

¹³Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,

but whoever respects a command is rewarded.

¹⁴The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

turning a person from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good judgment wins favour,

but the way of the unfaithful leads to their destruction.

¹⁶All who are prudent act with knowledge,

but fools expose their folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falls into trouble,

but a trustworthy envoy brings healing.

¹⁸Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,

but whoever heeds correction is honoured.

¹⁹A longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul,

but fools detest turning from evil.

²⁰Walk with the wise and become wise,

for a companion of fools suffers harm.

²¹Trouble pursues the sinner,

but the righteous are rewarded with good things.

²²A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children,

but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

²³An unploughed field produces food for the poor,

but injustice sweeps it away.

²⁴Whoever spares the rod hates their children,

but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

²⁵The righteous eat to their hearts’ content,

but the stomach of the wicked goes hungry.

¹Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but whoever hates correction is stupid.

²Good people obtain favour from the Lord,

but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

³No-one can be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

⁴A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

⁵The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous stands firm.

⁸A person is praised according to their prudence,

and one with a warped mind is despised.

⁹Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰The righteous care for the needs of their animals,

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

¹²The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,

but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,

and so the innocent escape trouble.

¹⁴From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,

and the work of their hands brings them reward.

¹⁵The way of fools seems right to them,

but the wise listen to advice.

¹⁶Fools show their annoyance at once,

but the prudent overlook an insult.

¹⁷An honest witness tells the truth,

but a false witness tells lies.

¹⁸The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

¹⁹Truthful lips endure for ever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but those who promote peace have joy.

²¹No harm overtakes the righteous,

but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²²The Lord detests lying lips,

but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

²³The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,

but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

²⁴Diligent hands will rule,

but laziness ends in forced labour.

²⁵Anxiety weighs down the heart,

but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶The righteous choose their friends carefully,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

²⁷The lazy do not roast any game,

but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.

¹My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

²for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you peace and prosperity.

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them round your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴Then you will win favour and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord and shun evil.

⁸This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honour the Lord with your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,

and do not resent his rebuke,

¹²because the Lord disciplines those he loves,

as a father the son he delights in.

¹³Blessed are those who find wisdom,

those who gain understanding,

¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honour.

¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;

those who hold her fast will be blessed.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

²⁰by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,

preserve sound judgment and discretion;

²²they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

²³Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

²⁶for the Lord will be at your side

and will keep your foot from being snared.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to act.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbour,

‘Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you’ –

when you already have it with you.

²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbour,

who lives trustfully near you.

³⁰Do not accuse anyone for no reason –

when they have done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the violent

or choose any of their ways.

³²For the Lord detests the perverse

but takes the upright into his confidence.

³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴He mocks proud mockers

but shows favour to the humble and oppressed.

³⁵The wise inherit honour,

but fools get only shame.