Chapter 30

  The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,  

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  Surely I [am] more brutish than [any] man, and have not the understanding of a man.  

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  I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.  

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  Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son's name, if thou canst tell?  

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  Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.  

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

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  Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not before I die:  

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  Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:  

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  Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].  

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

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  [There is] a generation [that] curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.  

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

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

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

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  The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [It is] enough:  

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  The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [It is] enough.  

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  The eye [that] mocketh at [his] father, and despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.  

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

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  The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.  

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  Such [is] the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.  

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

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  For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat;  

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  For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.  

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

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  The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;  

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  The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;  

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

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  The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.  

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  There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:  

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  A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;  

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

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

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  Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.  

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