| 1 ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܕܐܓܘܪ ܒܪ ܝܩܝ ܕܩܒܠ ܢܒܝܘܬܐ ܘܐܬܡܨܝ ܚܝܠܐ ܘܐܡܪ ܠܐܬܠܝܐܝܠ | 1 The sayings of Agur son of Jakeh, of Massa. Prophecy of this man for Ithiel, for Ithiel and for Ucal. |
| 2 ܡܛܠ ܕܚܣܝܪ ܗܘ ܪܥܝܢܝ ܘܠܝܬ ܒܝ ܣܘܟܠܐ ܕܒܢ̈ܝ ܐܢܫܐ | 2 I am myself the stupidest of people, bereft of human intel igence, |
| 3 ܘܠܐ ܝܕܥܬ ܚܟܡܬܐ ܘܠܐ ܝܠܦܬ ܝܕܥܬܐ ܕܩܕܝܫ̈ܐ | 3 I have not learnt wisdom, and I lack the knowledge of the holy ones. |
| 4 ܐܡܪ ܠܝ ܡܢܘ ܣܠܩ ܠܫܡܝܐ ܘܢܚܬ ܘܡܢܘ ܐܚܕ ܪܘܚܐ ܒܚ̈ܘܦܢܘܗܝ ܘܡܢܘ ܨܪ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܒܫܘܫܦܐ ܘܡܢܘ ܐܩܝܡ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܥܒܪ̈ܝܗ̇ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܐܝܢܘ ܫܡܗ ܘܐܝܢܘ ܫܡܐ ܕܒܪܗ ܐܢ ܝܕܥ ܐܢܬ | 4 Who has mounted to the heavens, then come down again? Who has gathered the wind in the clasp ofhis hand? Who has wrapped the waters in his cloak? Who has set al the ends of the earth firm? What is hisname? What is his child's name? Do you know? |
| 5 ܟܠܗܘܢ ܡܐܡܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܕܐܠܗܐ ܓܒܝ̈ܢ ܘܡܣܝܥ ܠܐܝܠܝܢ ܕܬܟܝܠܝܢ ܥܠܘܗܝ | 5 Every word of God is unal oyed, a shield to those who take refuge in him. |
| 6 ܠܐ ܬܘܣܦ ܥܠ ܡ̈ܠܘܗܝ ܕܠܐ ܢܟܣܟ ܘܬܬܟܕܒ | 6 To his words make no addition, lest he reprove you and account you a liar. |
| 7 ܬܪ̈ܬܝܢ ܫܐܠܬ ܡܢܟ ܠܐ ܬܟܠܐ ܡܢܝ ܥܕܠܐ ܐܡܘܬ | 7 Two things I beg of you, do not grudge me them before I die: |
| 8 ܐܪܚܩ ܡܢܝ ܣܪܝܩܘܬܐ ܘܡܡܠܠܐ ܟܕܒܐ ܘܡܣܟܢܘܬܐ ܘܥܘܬܪܐ ܠܐ ܬܬܠ ܠܝ ܗܒ ܠܝ ܥܘܡܪܐ ܡܣܬܝ | 8 keep falsehood and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches, grant me only my share offood, |
| 9 ܕܠܐ ܐܣܒܥ ܘܐܟܕܒ ܘܐܡܪ ܡܢܘ ܡܪܝܐ ܘܕܠܐ ܐܬܡܣܟܢ ܘܐܓܢܘܒ ܘܐܡܐ ܒܫܡܗ ܕܐܠܗܝ | 9 for fear that, surrounded by plenty, I should fall away and say, 'Yahweh-who is Yahweh?' or else, in destitution, take to stealing and profane the name of my God. |
| 10 ܠܐ ܬܫܠܡ ܥܒ̣ܕܐ ܠܡܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܕܠܐ ܢܠܘܛܟ ܘܬܬܚܝܒ | 10 Do not blacken a slave's name to his master, lest he curse you, and you suffer for it. |
| 11 ܠܕܪܐ ܕܐ̈ܒܗܘܗܝ ܢܨܚܐ ܘܠܐܡܗ ܠܐ ܢܒܪܟ | 11 There is a breed of person that curses his father and does not bless his mother; |
| 12 ܕܪܐ ܕܕܟܐ ܒܥܝܢ̈ܝ ܢܦܫܗ ܘܡܢ ܨܐܬܗ ܠܐ ܐܬܬܫܝܓ | 12 a breed that, laying claim to purity, has not yet been cleansed of its filth; |
| 13 ܕܪܐ ܡܐ ܕܪ̈ܡܢ ܥܝ̈ܢܘܗܝ ܘܬܡܪ̈ܘܗܝ ܡܫܩܠ | 13 a breed haughty of eye, with disdain in every glance; |
| 14 ܕܪܐ ܕܣܦܣܪ̈ܐ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܫܢ̈ܘܗܝ ܘܣܟܝܢܝ̈ܬܐ ܢܝ̈ܒܘܗܝ ܠܡܐܟܠ ܡܣ̈ܟܢܐ ܕܐܪܥܐ ܘܒܝ̇ܫ̈ܐ ܕܒܢܝ̈ܢܫܐ | 14 a breed with swords for teeth, with knives for jaws, devouring the oppressed from the earth and theneedy from the land. |
| 15 ܠܥܠܘܩܐ ܬܠܬ ܗ̈ܘܝ ܠܗ ܒܢ̈ܢ ܚܒܝ̈ܒܢ ܬܠܬ ܐܢܝ̈ܢ ܕܠܐ ܣܒ̈ܥܢ ܘܕܐܪܒܥ ܠܐ ܐܡܪܐ ܟܕܘ | 15 The leech has two daughters: 'Give! Give!' There are three insatiable things, four, indeed, that neversay, 'Enough!' |
| 16 ܫܝܘܠ ܘܐܚܕܬ ܪ̈ܚܡܝܗ̇ ܘܐܪܥܐ ܠܐ ܣܒܥܐ ܡ̈ܝܐ ܘܢܘܪܐ ܠܐ ܐܡܪܐ ܟܕܘ | 16 Sheol, the barren womb, earth which can never have its fil of water, fire which never says, 'Enough!' |
| 17 ܥܝܢܐ ܕܓܚܟܐ ܥܠ ܐܒܘܗ̇ ܘܫܝܛܐ ܣܝܒܘܬܐ ܕܐܡܗ̇ ܢܚܨܘܢܗ̇ ܥܘܪ̈ܒܐ ܕܢܚܠܐ ܘܢܐܟܠܘܢܗ̇ ܒܢ̈ܝ ܢܫܪܐ | 17 The eye which looks jeeringly on a father, and scorns the obedience due to a mother, wil be peckedout by the ravens of the val ey, and eaten by the vultures. |
| 18 ܬܠܬ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܕܟܣ̈ܝܢ ܡܢܝ ܘܕܐܪ̈ܒܥ ܠܐ ܝܕܥܬ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ | 18 There are three things beyond my comprehension, four, indeed, that I do not understand: |
| 19 ܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܢܫܪܐ ܒܫܡܝܐ ܘܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܚܘܝܐ ܥܠ ܫܘܥܐ ܘܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܐܠܦܐ ܒܠܒܗ ܕܝܡܐ ܘܐܘܪܚܐ ܕܓܒܪܐ ܒܥܠܝܡܘܬܗ | 19 the way of an eagle through the skies, the way of a snake over the rock, the way of a ship in mid-ocean, the way of a man with a girl. |
| 20 ܗܟܢܐ ܗܝ ܐܘܪܚܗ̇ ܕܐܢܬܬܐ ܓܝܪܬܐ ܐܟܠܐ ܘܡܟܦܪܐ ܦܘܡܗ̇ ܘܐܡܪܐ ܡܕܡ ܠܐ ܥܒܕܬ | 20 This is how an adulteress behaves: she eats, then wipes her mouth and says, 'I have done nothingwrong!' |
| 21 ܬܚܝܬ ܬܠܬ ܙܝܥܐ ܐܪܥܐ ܘܬܚܝܬ ܐܪ̈ܒܥ ܠܐ ܡܫܟܚܐ ܠܡܣܝܒܪܘ | 21 There are three things at which the earth trembles, four, indeed, which it cannot endure: |
| 22 ܬܚܝܬ ܥܒ̣ܕܐ ܟܕ ܢܡܠܟ ܘܬܚܝܬ ܣܟܠܐ ܕܣܒܥ ܠܚܡܐ | 22 a slave become king, a brute gorged with food, |
| 23 ܘܬܚܝܬ ܣܢܘܐܬܐ ܕܗܘܝܐ ܠܓܒܪܐ ܘܬܚܝܬ ܐܡܬܐ ܕܡܦܩܐ ܠܡܪܬܗ̇ | 23 a hateful woman wed at last, a servant girl inheriting from her mistress. |
| 24 ܐܪ̈ܒܥ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܕܙܥܘܪ̈ܝܢ ܒܐܪܥܐ ܘܗ̈ܢܝܢ ܚ̈ܟܝܡܢ ܡܢ ܚ̈ܟܝܡܐ | 24 There are four creatures little on the earth, though they are wisest of the wise: |
| 25 ܫ̈ܘܫܡܢܐ ܕܚܝܠܐ ܠܝܬ ܒܗܘܢ ܘܡܛܝܒܝܢ ܡܢ ܩܝܛܐ ܠܚܡܗܘܢ | 25 ants, a race with no strength, yet in the summer they make sure of their food; |
| 26 ܘܚܓ̈ܣܐ ܕܒܨܝܪܝܢ ܒܚܝܠܐ ܘܥܒܕܝܢ ܠܗܘܢ ܒܬ̈ܐ ܒܫ̈ܘܥܐ | 26 the coneys, a race without defences, yet they make their home in the rocks; |
| 27 ܘܩܡ̈ܨܐ ܕܡܠܟܘ ܠܝܬ ܠܗܘܢ ܘܡܬܟܢܫܝܢ ܟܠܗܘܢ ܐܝܟ ܚܕܐ | 27 locusts, which have no king, yet they al march in good order; |
| 28 ܘܐܡܩܬܐ ܕܡܣܒܟܐ ܒܐܝ̈ܕܝܗ̇ ܘܥܡܪܐ ܒܒ̈ܬܐ ܕܡ̈ܠܟܐ | 28 lizards, which you can catch in your hand, yet they frequent the palaces of kings. |
| 29 ܬܠܬ ܐ̈ܢܝܢ ܕܬܪ̈ܝܨܢ ܗ̈ܠܟܬܗܝܢ ܘܕܐܪ̈ܒܥ ܫܦܝܪ ܡܗ̈ܠܟܢ | 29 There are three things of stately tread, four, indeed, of stately walk: |
| 30 ܓܘܪܝܐ ܕܐܪܝܐ ܓܢܒܪ ܗܘ ܡܢ ܟܠܗ̇ ܒܥܝܪܐ ܘܠܐ ܕܚܠ ܘܠܐ ܗܦܟ ܡܢ ܟܘܠܗ̇ ܒܥܝܪܐ | 30 the lion, bravest of beasts, he wil draw back from nothing; |
| 31 ܘܐܒܟܐ ܕܡܙܕܪܟܠ ܒܝܢ̈ܬ ܬܪ̈ܢܓܠܬܐ ܘܬܝܫܐ ܕܐܙܠ ܒܪܝܫ ܓܙܪܐ ܘܡܠܟܐ ܕܡܡܠܠ ܒܝܬ ܥܡ̈ܡܐ | 31 a vigorous cock, a he-goat, and the king when he harangues his people. |
| 32 ܠܐ ܬܪܓ ܕܠܐ ܬܨܛܥܪ ܘܠܐ ܬܘܫܛ ܐܝܕܟ ܠܦܘܡܟ ܒܥܬܐ | 32 If you have been foolish enough to fly into a passion and now have second thoughts, lay your handon your lips. |
| 33 ܡܢ ܫܘܡܢܗ ܕܚܠܒܐ ܢܦܩܐ ܚܐܘܬܐ ܘܐܢ ܬܟܒܘܫ ܐܝܕܟ ܥܠ ܚܛܬܐ ܢܦܘܩ ܕܡܐ ܗܟܢܐ ܡܢ ܚܪܝܢܐ ܕܐ̈ܦܐ ܢܦܩ ܕܝܢܐ | 33 For by churning the milk you produce butter, by wringing the nose you produce blood, and bywhipping up anger you produce strife. |
