The Words of Agur
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The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, his utterance. This man declared to Ithiel - to Ithiel and Ucal:
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a Surely I am more stupid than any man,
And do not have the understanding of a man.
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I neither learned wisdom
Nor have b knowledge of the Holy One.
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c Who has ascended into heaven, or descended?
d Who 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?
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e Every word of God is pure;
f He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
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g Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
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Two things I request of You
(Deprive me not before I die):
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Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches -
h Feed me with the food allotted to me;
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i Lest 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.
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Do not malign a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be found guilty.
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There is a generation that curses its j father,
And does not bless its mother.
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There is a generation k that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
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There is a generation - oh, how l lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
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m There is a generation whose teeth are like swords,
And whose fangs are like knives,
n To devour the poor from off the earth,
And the needy from among men.
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The leech has two daughters -
Give and Give!
There are three things that are never satisfied,
Four never say, "Enough!":
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o The grave,
The barren womb,
The earth that is not satisfied with water -
And the fire never says, "Enough!"
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p The 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.
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There are three things which are too wonderful for me,
Yes, four which I do not understand:
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The way of an eagle in the air,
The way of a serpent on a rock,
The way of a ship in the midst of the sea,
And the way of a man with a virgin.
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This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats and wipes her mouth,
And says, "I have done no wickedness."
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For three things the earth is perturbed,
Yes, for four it cannot bear up:
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q For a servant when he reigns,
A fool when he is filled with food,
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A hateful woman when she is married,
And a maidservant who succeeds her mistress.
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There are four things which are little on the earth,
But they are exceedingly wise:
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r The ants are a people not strong,
Yet they prepare their food in the summer;
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s The rock badgers are a feeble folk,
Yet they make their homes in the crags;
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The locusts have no king,
Yet they all advance in ranks;
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The spider skillfully grasps with its hands,
And it is in kings' palaces.
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There are three things which are majestic in pace,
Yes, four which are stately in walk:
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A lion, which is mighty among beasts
And does not turn away from any;
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A greyhound,
A male goat also,
And a king whose troops are with him.
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If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have devised evil, t put your hand on your mouth.
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For as the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood,
So the forcing of wrath produces strife.
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Cross References
Psalms 73:22
I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You.
Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.
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Cross References
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
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Cross References
Psalms 68:18
You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the LORD God might dwell there.
John 3:13
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
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Cross References
Job 38:4
Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Psalms 104:3
He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters, Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind.
Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?
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Cross References
Psalms 12:6
The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
Psalms 19:8
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
Psalms 119:140
Your word is very pure; Therefore Your servant loves it.
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Cross References
Psalms 18:30
As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
Psalms 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.
Psalms 115:9 - 11
O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 4:2
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
Deuteronomy 12:32
Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.
Revelation 22:18
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book.
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Cross References
Job 23:12
I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food.
Matthew 6:11
Give us this day our daily bread.
Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
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Cross References
Deuteronomy 8:12 - 14
Lest - when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them.
Nehemiah 9:25
And they took strong cities and a rich land, And possessed houses full of all goods, Cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, And fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and grew fat, And delighted themselves in Your great goodness.
Nehemiah 9:26
Nevertheless they were disobedient And rebelled against You, Cast Your law behind their backs And killed Your prophets, who testified against them To turn them to Yourself; And they worked great provocations.
Hosea 13:6
When they had pasture, they were filled; They were filled and their heart was exalted; Therefore they forgot Me.
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Cross References
Exodus 21:17
And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
Proverbs 20:20
Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
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Cross References
Proverbs 16:2
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, But the LORD weighs the spirits.
Isaiah 65:5
Who say, 'Keep to yourself, Do not come near me, For I am holier than you!' These are smoke in My nostrils, A fire that burns all the day.
Luke 18:11
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men - extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.
Titus 1:15
To the pure all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their mind and conscience are defiled.
Titus 1:16
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.
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Cross References
Psalms 131:1
LORD, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty. Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.
Proverbs 6:17
A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood.
Isaiah 2:11
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isaiah 5:15
People shall be brought down, Each man shall be humbled, And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.
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Cross References
Job 29:17
I broke the fangs of the wicked, And plucked the victim from his teeth.
Psalms 52:2
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
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Cross References
Psalms 14:4
Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the LORD?
Amos 8:4
Hear this, you who swallow up the needy, And make the poor of the land fail.
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Cross References
Proverbs 27:20
Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied.
Habakkuk 2:5
Indeed, because he transgresses by wine, He is a proud man, And he does not stay at home. Because he enlarges his desire as hell, And he is like death, and cannot be satisfied, He gathers to himself all nations And heaps up for himself all peoples.
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Cross References
Genesis 9:22
And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
Leviticus 20:9
For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him.
Proverbs 20:20
Whoever curses his father or his mother, His lamp will be put out in deep darkness.
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Cross References
Proverbs 19:10
Luxury is not fitting for a fool, Much less for a servant to rule over princes.
Ecclesiastes 10:7
I have seen servants on horses, While princes walk on the ground like servants.
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Cross References
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise.
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Cross References
Leviticus 11:5
The rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you.
Psalms 104:18
The high hills are for the wild goats; The cliffs are a refuge for the rock badgers.
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Cross References
Job 21:5
Look at me and be astonished; Put your hand over your mouth.
Job 40:4
Behold, I am vile; What shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth.
Micah 7:16
The nations shall see and be ashamed of all their might; They shall put their hand over their mouth; Their ears shall be deaf.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.