Agur Nsɛm A Ɔkaeɛ
1Yake babarima Agur nsɛm a ɔkaeɛ a ɛyɛ nkɔmhyɛ:
Saa ɔbarima yi ka kyerɛɛ Itiel ne Ukal sɛ:
2“Me na mennim hwee koraa wɔ nnipa mu,
menni onipa nteaseɛ.
3Mensuaa nyansa,
na menni Ɔkronkronni no ho nimdeɛ nso.
4Hwan na waforo akɔ soro na wasiane aba fam?
Hwan na wabɔ mframa boa wɔ ne nsa mu?
Hwan na ɔde nʼatadeɛ abɔ nsuo boa?
Hwan na ɔbɔɔ asase hahanaa yi?
Ne din de sɛn, na ne ba barima nso din de sɛn?
Sɛ wonim a ka kyerɛ me!
5“Onyankopɔn asɛm biara yɛ nokorɛ;
ɔyɛ kyɛm ma wɔn a wɔdwane toa no.
6Mfa biribi nka nʼasɛm ho,
anyɛ saa a ɔbɛka wʼanim ama woayɛ ɔtorofoɔ.
7“Ao Awurade, nneɛma mmienu na mehwehwɛ firi wo nkyɛn;
mfa nkame me ansa na mawu:
8Yi atorɔ ne ahohwisɛm firi me mu;
mma mennyɛ ohiani anaa ɔdefoɔ;
nanso ma me deɛ medi daa.
9Anyɛ saa a, ebia menya me ho pii ama mapa wo
na maka sɛ, ‘Hwan ne Awurade?’
Anaa mɛyɛ ohiani na mabɔ korɔno,
na ama magu me Onyankopɔn din ho fi.
10“Nsɛe ɔsomfoɔ din nkyerɛ ne wura;
sɛ woyɛ saa a, ɔbɛdome wo na wobɛtua so ka.
11“Nnipa bi dome wɔn agyanom,
na wɔnnhyira wɔn maamenom nso;
12Wɔn a wɔtene wɔ wɔn ankasa ani so
a ɛnso wɔnhohoroo wɔn ho fi;
13wɔn a wɔn ani tra ntɔn,
na wɔbu animtiaa;
14wɔn a wɔn se yɛ akofena
na sekammoa hyehyɛ wɔn apantan
wɔn na wɔbɛtɔre ahiafoɔ ase afiri asase so,
na woayi onibie afiri adasamma mu.
15“Amemem wɔ mmammaa mmienu
a wɔteam sɛ, ‘Fa ma me! Fa ma me.’
“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛmmee da.
Dabi, nneɛma ɛnan wɔ hɔ a ɛnka da sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ!’
16Damena,
obonini awotwaa,
asase a ɛyɛ wesee daa,
ne ogya a ɛnka da sɛ, ‘Ɛyɛ!’
17“Ani a ɛyi agya ahi,
na ɛbu ɛna animtia no,
bɔnhwa ho anene bɛtutu,
na apete abɛdi.
18“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛyɛ me nwanwa,
ɛnan na mente aseɛ:
19Ɛkwan a ɔkɔdeɛ nam so wɔ ewiem,
sɛdeɛ ɔwɔ nante ɔbotan so,
ɛkwan a ɛhyɛn nam so wɔ ɛpo hahanaa so,
ne sɛdeɛ ɔbarima dɔ ababaawa.
20“Ɔbaa waresɛefoɔ ɛkwan nie:
Ɔdidi, ɔpepa nʼano
na ɔka sɛ, ‘Menyɛɛ mfomsoɔ biara.’
21“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na ɛma asase woso,
ɛnan na asase ɛntumi nnyina ano:
22akoa a wabɛyɛ ɔhene,
ɔkwasea a wadidi amee,
23ɔbaa a wɔmmpɛ no na wawareɛ,
afenaa a ɔtu nʼawurakwaa tena nʼanan mu.
24“Nneɛma nketenkete ɛnan na ɛwɔ asase so,
nanso wɔyɛ anyansafoɔ ankasa:
25Ntɛtea yɛ abɔdeɛ nketewa a wɔnni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔboaboa wɔn aduane ano ahuhuro berɛ mu;
26Nkukuban30.26 Nkukuban yɛ nnanko mu ahodoɔ bi a, wɔtena akuakuo wɔ mmepɔ mu.—yɛ abɔdeɛ a wɔnni ahoɔden,
nanso wɔyɛ wɔn afie wɔ abotan mu,
27ntutummɛ nni ɔhene,
nanso wɔsa so akuakuo, kɔ wɔn anim;
28wɔtumi de nsa kyere ɔkoterɛ,
nanso wɔhunu no aberempɔn ahemfie.
29“Nneɛma mmiɛnsa na wɔwɔ aberempɔn nanteɛ,
ɛnan na wɔkeka wɔn ho te sɛ aberempɔn:
30gyata, mmoadoma ɔhene a, biribiara mmɔ no hu;
31akokɔnini a ɔretutu taataa,
ɔpapo,
ne ɔhene a nʼasraafoɔ atwa ne ho ahyia.
32“Sɛ woayɛ ɔkwasea ama wo ho so,
anaa woadwene bɔne a,
ma wʼani nwu na mua wʼano!
33Sɛdeɛ wɔka nufosuo nu mu a sradeɛ firi mu ba
na wɔkyinkyim hwene a ɛtu mogya no,
saa ara na abufuo de akasakasa ba.”
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.30:1 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text utterance to Ithiel, / to Ithiel and Ukal:
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.30:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
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.’
