The Observations of Agur |
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The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy.
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The man spake unto Ith'i-el, |
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even unto Ith'i-el and Ucal, |
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| 2 |
Surely I am more brutish than any man,
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and have not the understanding of a man. |
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| 3 |
I neither learned wisdom,
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nor have the knowledge of the holy. |
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| 4 |
Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended?
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Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? |
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Who hath bound the waters in a garment? |
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Who hath established all the ends of the earth? |
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What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell? |
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| 5 |
Every word of God is pure:
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he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. |
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| 6 |
Add thou not unto his words,
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lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. |
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| 7 |
Two things have I required of thee;
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deny me them not before I die: |
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| 8 |
remove far from me vanity and lies;
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give me neither poverty nor riches; |
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feed me with food convenient for me: |
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| 9 |
lest I be full, and deny thee,
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and say, Who is the LORD? |
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or lest I be poor, and steal, |
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and take the name of my God in vain. |
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| 10 |
Accuse not a servant unto his master,
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lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. |
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| 11 |
There is a generation that curseth their father,
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and doth not bless their mother. |
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| 12 |
There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes,
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and yet is not washed from their filthiness. |
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| 13 |
There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes!
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And their eyelids are lifted up. |
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| 14 |
There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords,
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and their jaw teeth as knives, |
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to devour the poor from off the earth, |
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and the needy from among men. |
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| 15 |
The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, Give, give.
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There are three things that are never satisfied, |
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yea, four things say not, It is enough: |
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the grave; and the barren womb;
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the earth that is not filled with water; |
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and the fire that saith not, It is enough. |
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| 17 |
The eye that mocketh at his father,
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and despiseth to obey his mother, |
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the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, |
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and the young eagles shall eat it. |
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| 18 |
There be three things which are too wonderful for me,
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yea, four which I know not: |
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| 19 |
the way of an eagle in the air;
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the way of a serpent upon a rock; |
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the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; |
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and the way of a man with a maid. |
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| 20 |
Such is the way of an adulterous woman;
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she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, |
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and saith, I have done no wickedness. |
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| 21 |
For three things the earth is disquieted,
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and for four which it cannot bear: |
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| 22 |
for a servant when he reigneth;
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and a fool when he is filled with meat; |
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for an odious woman when she is married;
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and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress. |
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| 24 |
There be four things which are little upon the earth,
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but they are exceeding wise: |
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the ants are a people not strong,
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yet they prepare their meat in the summer; |
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| 26 |
the conies are but a feeble folk,
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yet make they their houses in the rocks; |
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| 27 |
the locusts have no king,
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yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
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| 28 |
the spider taketh hold with her hands,
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and is in kings' palaces. |
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| 29 |
There be three things which go well,
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yea, four are comely in going: |
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| 30 |
a lion, which is strongest among beasts,
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and turneth not away for any; |
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| 31 |
a greyhound; a he goat also;
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and a king, against whom there is no rising up. |
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| 32 |
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself,
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or if thou hast thought evil, |
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lay thine hand upon thy mouth. |
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| 33 |
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter,
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and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: |
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so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. |
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