1 דִּבְרֵי ׀ אָגוּר בִּן־יָקֶה הַמַּשָּׂא נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר לְאִיתִיאֵל לְאִיתִיאֵל וְאֻכָל | 1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, |
2 כִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ וְלֹא־בִינַת אָדָם לִי | 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. |
3 וְלֹא־לָמַדְתִּי חָכְמָה וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָע | 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. |
4 מִי עָלָה־שָׁמַיִם ׀ וַיֵּרַד מִי אָסַף־רוּחַ ׀ בְּחָפְנָיו מִי צָרַר־מַיִם ׀ בַּשִּׂמְלָה מִי הֵקִים כָּל־אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ מַה־שְּׁמֹו וּמַה־שֶּׁם־בְּנֹו כִּי תֵדָע | 4 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? |
5 כָּל־אִמְרַת אֱלֹוהַּ צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לַחֹסִים בֹּו | 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. |
6 אַל־תֹּוסְףְּ עַל־דְּבָרָיו פֶּן־יֹוכִיחַ בְּךָ וְנִכְזָבְתָּ׃ פ | 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. |
7 תַּיִם שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ אַל־תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי בְּטֶרֶם אָמוּת | 7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: |
8 שָׁוְא ׀ וּדְבַר־כָּזָב הַרְחֵק מִמֶּנִּי רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר אַל־תִּתֶּן־לִי הַטְרִיפֵנִי לֶחֶם חֻקִּי | 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: |
9 פֶּן אֶשְׂבַּע ׀ וְכִחַשְׁתִּי וְאָמַרְתִּי מִי יְהוָה וּפֶן־אִוָּרֵשׁ וְגָנַבְתִּי וְתָפַשְׂתִּי שֵׁם אֱלֹהָי׃ פ | 9 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. |
10 אַל־תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד אֶל־ [אֲדֹנֹו כ] (אֲדֹנָיו ק) פֶּן־יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָׁמְתָּ | 10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. |
11 דֹּור אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל וְאֶת־אִמֹּו לֹא יְבָרֵךְ | 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. |
12 דֹּור טָהֹור בְּעֵינָיו וּמִצֹּאָתֹו לֹא רֻחָץ | 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. |
13 דֹּור מָה־רָמוּ עֵינָיו וְעַפְעַפָּיו יִנָּשֵׂאוּ | 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. |
14 דֹּור ׀ חֲרָבֹות שִׁנָּיו וּמַאֲכָלֹות מְתַלְּעֹתָיו לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ וְאֶבְיֹונִים מֵאָדָם׃ פ | 14 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. |
15 לַעֲלוּקָה ׀ שְׁתֵּי בָנֹות הַב ׀ הַב שָׁלֹושׁ הֵנָּה לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה אַרְבַּע לֹא־אָמְרוּ הֹון | 15 The horseleach hath two daughters, crying, Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things say not, It is enough: |
16 שְׁאֹול וְעֹצֶר רָחַם אֶרֶץ לֹא־שָׂבְעָה מַּיִם וְאֵשׁ לֹא־אָמְרָה הֹון | 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. |
17 עַיִן ׀ תִּלְעַג לְאָב וְתָבוּז לִיקֲּהַת־אֵם יִקְּרוּהָ עֹרְבֵי־נַחַל וְיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי־נָשֶׁר׃ פ | 17 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. |
18 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי [וְאַרְבָּע כ] (וְאַרְבָּעָה ק) לֹא יְדַעְתִּים | 18 There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: |
19 דֶּרֶךְ הַנֶּשֶׁר ׀ בַּשָּׁמַיִם דֶּרֶךְ נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי צוּר דֶּרֶךְ־אֳנִיָּה בְלֶב־יָם וְדֶרֶךְ גֶּבֶר בְּעַלְמָה | 19 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. |
20 כֵּן ׀ דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה מְנָאָפֶת אָכְלָה וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ וְאָמְרָה לֹא־פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן׃ פ | 20 Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness. |
21 תַּחַת לֹושׁ רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ וְתַחַת אַרְבַּע לֹא־תוּכַל שְׂאֵת | 21 For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: |
22 תַּחַת־עֶבֶד כִּי יִמְלֹוךְ וְנָבָל כִּי יִשְׂבַּע־לָחֶם | 22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; |
23 תַּחַת נוּאָה כִּי תִבָּעֵל וְשִׁפְחָה כִּי־תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ׃ פ | 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress. |
24 אַרְבָּעָה הֵם קְטַנֵּי־אָרֶץ וְהֵמָּה חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִים | 24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: |
25 הַנְּמָלִים עַם לֹא־עָז וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָם | 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; |
26 פַנִּים עַם לֹא־עָצוּם וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָם | 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; |
27 מֶלֶךְ אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלֹּו | 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
28 מָמִית בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ וְהִיא בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ׃ פ | 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. |
29 שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד וְאַרְבָּעָה מֵיטִבֵי לָכֶת | 29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: |
30 לַיִשׁ גִּבֹּור בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא־יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי־כֹל | 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; |
31 זַרְזִיר מָתְנַיִם אֹו־תָיִשׁ וּמֶלֶךְ אַלְקוּם עִמֹּו | 31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. |
32 אִם־נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא וְאִם־זַמֹּותָ יָד לְפֶה | 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. |
33 כִּי מִיץ חָלָב יֹוצִיא חֶמְאָה וּמִיץ־אַף יֹוצִיא דָם וּמִיץ אַפַּיִם יֹוצִיא רִיב׃ פ | 33 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. |