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 dishonor 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 mankind.
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, 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 rooster, 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.”
Àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ tí Aguri sọ
1Àwọn ọ̀rọ̀ Aguri ọmọ Jake, ọ̀rọ̀ ìsọtẹ́lẹ̀ tí ọkùnrin yìí sọ fún Itieli.
Sí Itieli àti sí Ukali.
2“Èmi ni aláìmòye ju nínú àwọn ènìyàn;
N kò ní òye ènìyàn.
3Èmi kò tilẹ̀ kọ́ ọgbọ́n
tàbí ní ìmọ̀ ẹni mímọ́ nì
4Ta ni ó ti gòkè lọ sí ọ̀run tí ó sì padà sọ̀kalẹ̀?
Ta ni ó ti kó afẹ́fẹ́ jọ sí ihò àtẹ́lẹwọ́ rẹ̀?
Ta ni ó ti ta kókó omi sétí aṣọ?
Ta ni ó fi gbogbo ìpìlẹ̀ ayé lélẹ̀?
Kí ni orúkọ rẹ̀, àti orúkọ ọmọ rẹ̀?
Sọ fún mi bí o bá mọ̀.
5“Gbogbo ọ̀rọ̀ Ọlọ́run jẹ́ aláìlábùkù;
òun ni ààbò fún gbogbo ẹni fi í ṣe ibi ìpamọ́ wọn
6Má ṣe fi kún ọ̀rọ̀ rẹ̀,
àìṣe bẹ́ẹ̀ yóò bá ọ wí yóò sì sọ ọ́ di òpùrọ́.
7“Ohun méjì ni mo ń béèrè lọ́wọ́ rẹ, Olúwa;
má ṣe fi wọ́n dù mí kí ń tó kú:
8Mú èké ṣíṣe àti irọ́ jìnnà sí mi;
má ṣe fún mi ní òsì tàbí ọrọ̀,
ṣùgbọ́n fún mi ní oúnjẹ òòjọ́ mi nìkan,
9Àìṣe bẹ́ẹ̀, mo lè ní àníjù kí n sì gbàgbé rẹ
kí ń sì wí pé, ‘Ta ni Olúwa?’
Tàbí kí ń di òtòṣì kí ń sì jalè
kí ń sì ṣe àìbọ̀wọ̀ fún orúkọ Ọlọ́run mi.
10“Má ṣe ba ìránṣẹ́ lórúkọ jẹ́ lọ́dọ̀ ọ̀gá rẹ̀,
kí ó má ba fi ọ́ bú, kí ìwọ má ba jẹ̀bi.
11“Àwọn kan wá ṣépè fún àwọn baba wọn
tí wọn kò sì súre fún àwọn ìyá wọn:
12Àwọn tí ó mọ́ ní ojú ara wọn
síbẹ̀ tí wọn kò sì mọ́ kúrò nínú èérí wọn;
13Àwọn ẹni tí ojú wọn gbéga nígbà gbogbo,
tí ìwolẹ̀ wọn sì kún fún ìgbéraga.
14Àwọn ẹni tí eyín wọn jẹ́ idà
àwọn tí èrìgì wọn kún fún ọ̀bẹ
láti jẹ àwọn tálákà run kúrò ní ilẹ̀ ayé
àwọn aláìní kúrò láàrín àwọn ọmọ ènìyàn.
15“Eṣúṣú ni ọmọbìnrin méjì.
‘Mú wá! Mú wá!’ ní wọn ń ké.
“Àwọn nǹkan mẹ́ta kan wà tí kò ní ìtẹ́lọ́rùn láéláé,
mẹ́rin tí kò jẹ́ wí láéláé pé, ‘Ó tó!’:
16Ibojì, inú tí ó yàgàn,
ilẹ̀ tí omi kì í tẹ́lọ́rùn láéláé,
àti iná, tí kì í wí láéláé pé, ‘Ó tó!’
17“Ojú tí ń fi baba ṣẹ̀fẹ̀,
tí ó kẹ́gàn ìgbọ́ràn sí ìyá,
ẹyẹ ìwò ẹ̀bá odò ni yóò yọ ọ́,
igún yóò mú un jẹ.
18“Àwọn nǹkan mẹ́ta wà tí ó jẹ́ ìyàlẹ́nu fún mi,
mẹ́rin tí kò yé mi:
19Ipa ẹyẹ idì ní òfúrufú
ipa ejò lórí àpáta
ipa ọkọ̀ ojú omi lójú agbami Òkun
àti ipa ọ̀nà ọkùnrin tí ó mú wúńdíá lọ́wọ́.
20“Èyí ni ọ̀nà alágbèrè obìnrin
ó jẹun ó sì nu ẹnu rẹ̀
ó sì wí pé, N kò ṣe ohunkóhun tí kò tọ́.
21“Lábẹ́ nǹkan mẹ́ta ni ilé ayé ti ń wárìrì
lábẹ́ ohun mẹ́rin ni kò ti lè mí fín ín.
22Ìránṣẹ́ tí ó di ọba
aláìgbọ́n tí ó ní ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ oúnjẹ
23Obìnrin tí gbogbo ènìyàn kórìíra tí ó sì wá lọ́kọ
ìránṣẹ́bìnrin tí ó gbọkọ mọ́ ọ̀gá rẹ̀ lọ́wọ́.
24“Àwọn ohun mẹ́rin ló kéré láyé
síbẹ̀ wọ́n gbọ́n gidigidi;
25Àwọn èèrà jẹ́ aláìlágbára ẹ̀dá,
síbẹ̀ wọ́n kó oúnjẹ wọn pamọ́ ní àsìkò òjò
26Ehoro jẹ́ aláìlágbára ẹ̀dá;
síbẹ̀ wọ́n ń ṣe ihò wọn sí ibi pálapàla àpáta;
27àwọn eṣú kò ní ọba,
síbẹ̀ gbogbo wọ́n ń jáde lọ ní ọ̀wọ̀ọ̀wọ́
28Ọmọnílé fi ọwọ́ rẹ̀ dì mú,
síbẹ̀ a ń rí i ní ààfin ọba.
29“Àwọn ohun mẹ́ta ní ń bẹ tí ń rìn rere,
ohun mẹ́rin ni ó dára púpọ̀ ní ìrìn rírìn:
30Kìnnìún, alágbára láàrín ẹranko tí kì í sá fún ohunkóhun
31Ẹsin tí a dì lẹ́gbẹ̀ẹ́;
àti òbúkọ,
àti ọba láàrín àwọn ènìyàn rẹ̀.
32“Bí ìwọ bá ti hùwà aṣiwèrè nípa gbígbé ara rẹ ga,
tàbí tí o bá ti gbèrò ibi,
da ọwọ́ rẹ bo ẹnu rẹ!
33Nítorí bí fífún omi ọmú tí í mú wàrà wá,
tí fífún imú sì ń mú ẹ̀jẹ̀ jáde,
bẹ́ẹ̀ ni rírú ìbínú sókè í mú ìjà wá.”
