The words of Agur son of Yaqe, the burden. Thus says the man, I am weary, O God, I am weary, O God, and I am consumed:

These are the words [of Solomon] who collected understanding [and] "vomited" [it]. This prophecy was stated by the man [(Solomon)] about himself]: Because [I said (contrary to the exhortations of the Torah)]: "Because G-d is with me — Because G-d is with me, I can" [(take many wives and multiply gold and horses and not go astray)] —

for I am more brutish than a man, and have not the understanding of a man.

[Now I see] that I am void of [the intellect of] man and do not have man's understanding.

I have not learned wisdom; that I should desire to have the knowledge of the holy.

And I did not learn wisdom, and I [did not] know the knowledge of the holy ones [(having detracted from or added to the words of Moses)].

Who has ascended up into heaven, and come down again? 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 thou canst tell?

Who [like Moses] ascended to heaven and descended? Who [like Moses] gathered wind [(the furnace-soot) viz. Exodus 9:8-10] in his hand? Who tied the waters in a cloak? [viz. Exodus 15:8]. Who raised [the mishkan, whereby there were founded] all the ends of the earth? [If you would contend that there was someone like Moses,] what is his name what is his son's name? [(How, then, did you not fear to transgress his words?)]

Every word of God is proven: he is a shield to those who put their trust in him.

All the words of the L-rd are refined [(He wrote nothing to no end and I should have heeded them)]; He is a shield to those who trust in Him.

Add not to his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

Do not add to His words, lest He prove to you [(that you have sinned through your addition)] and you be foiled.

Two things have I asked of thee; do not deny me them before I die:

I ask two things of You; do not withhold [them] from me before I die.

remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with my allotted portion:

Keep vanity and falseness far from me. Give me neither poverty nor wealth, but allot me my daily bread.

lest I become sated, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, and violate the name of my God.

Lest [(being rich)] I be sated and [(out of pride)] deny [the L-rd], saying: "Who is the L-rd?" and lest I become impoverished and steal and take the name of my G-d [in vain, in swearing that I have not stolen].

Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.

Do not libel a servant [i.e., do not bring judgment against him] to his Master, lest he curse you and you be incriminated.

There is a generation that curse their father, and do not bless their mother.

[Do not libel even] a generation that curses its father and does not bless [(but curses)] its mother.

There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.

[Even] a generation that holds itself pure in its own eyes, and does not cleanse itself of its dung.

There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.

[Even] a generation of how-haughty-are-its-eyes and how upraised its pupils.

There is a generation, whose teeth are like swords, and their jaw teeth like knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

[Even] a generation whose [outer] teeth are swords and its inner teeth knives to consume the poor from the land and the needy from [the community of] men.

The leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied; four that never say, It is enough.

The leech [i.e., the grave] has two daughters [Paradise and Gehinnom, each saying]: "Give me, give me." There are three that are never sated, and a fourth that never says "Enough!"

She᾽ol; and the barren womb; the earth that is never sated with water; and the fire that never says, It is enough.

Sheol [the grave], the closing up of the womb [i.e., intercourse], the land unsated with water, and the fire [of Gehinnom], which never says "Enough!"

The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young vultures shall eat it.

The eye that mocks a father and spurns a mother's lore will be gouged out by the ravens of the stream [(but not eaten by them, ravens being cruel to their offspring)] and will be eaten by the sons of the eagle [(eagles being merciful to their offspring)].

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

There are three [whose ways (i.e., destinations) are] hidden from me, and a fourth that I do not know:

the way of the vultures in the air; the way of a snake upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.

The way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a snake upon a stone, the way of a boat in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

Likewise the way of an adulterous woman; she eats, and wipes her mouth, and says, I have done nothing wrong.

Such is the way of an adulterous woman: She "eats" and wipes her "mouth" and says: I have done no wrong.

For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four it cannot bear:

Because of three [things] the earth trembles, and because of a fourth she cannot bear [(i.e., she cannot stand up under her trembling)].

for a slave when he becomes king; and a fool when he is filled with food;

Because of a servant that attains rulership, and a scoundrel that is sated with bread,

for an unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

because of a hateful woman [(a harlot)] who weds a husband, and a maidservant who inherits [the place of] her mistress.

There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

There are four among the small [creatures] of the earth, who have been made wise [by the Creator]:

the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their bread in the summer;

The ants, a nation that is not strong, and who [yet] prepare their food in the summer,

the badgers are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

[the] rabbits, a nation that is not powerful, and who [yet] make their abode in the rock;

the locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;

there is no king to the locusts, and they [yet] go out in a [single] swarm;

The lizard clambers up with her hands, and she is in king’s palaces.

the spider grasps [walls] with her hands, and she dwells in the palaces of the king.

There are three things which are stately in their tread; four are comely in their stride:

There are three that step securely, and a fourth that walks in confidence:

a lion which is strongest among beasts, and does not turn away for anyone;

The lion, the strongest of the beasts, who does not turn back from anything,

a greyhound; a he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up.

the thigh-belted [hound (the greyhound)], the he-goat, and the king whom none can withstand.

If thou hast done foolishly in lifting thyself up, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thy hand upon thy mouth.

If you have sullied [i.e., demeaned] yourself, [you are destined] to ascend; and if you have plotted [recrimination], put your hand to your mouth [in silence].

Surely the wringing of milk brings forth curd, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood: so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.

For pressing milk produces butter, and pressing the nose produces blood, and pressing anger produces strife.