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The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh - an inspired utterance.
This man's utterance to Ithiel:
"I am weary, God,
but I can prevail. 1
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Surely I am only a brute, not a man;
I do not have human understanding.
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I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
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Who 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!
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"Every word of God is flawless;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
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Do not add to his words,
or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
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"Two things I ask of you, Lord;
do not refuse me before I die:
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Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.
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Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the Lord?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.
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"Do not slander a servant to their master,
or they will curse you, and you will pay for it.
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"There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
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those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
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those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
whose glances are so disdainful;
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those whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth
and the needy from among mankind.
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"The leech has two daughters.
'Give! Give!' they cry.
"There are three things that are never satisfied,
four that never say, 'Enough!':
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the grave, the barren womb,
land, which is never satisfied with water,
and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'
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"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.
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"There are three things that are too amazing for me,
four that I do not understand:
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the 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.
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"This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth
and says, 'I've done nothing wrong.'
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"Under three things the earth trembles,
under four it cannot bear up:
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a servant who becomes king,
a godless fool who gets plenty to eat,
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a contemptible woman who gets married,
and a servant who displaces her mistress.
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"Four things on earth are small,
yet they are extremely wise:
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Ants are creatures of little strength,
yet they store up their food in the summer;
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hyraxes are creatures of little power,
yet they make their home in the crags;
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locusts have no king,
yet they advance together in ranks;
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a lizard can be caught with the hand,
yet it is found in kings' palaces.
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"There are three things that are stately in their stride,
four that move with stately bearing:
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a lion, mighty among beasts,
who retreats before nothing;
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a strutting rooster, a he-goat,
and a king secure against revolt. 2
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"If you play the fool and exalt yourself,
or if you plan evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
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For as churning cream produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife."