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Sayings of Agur

30The words of Agur son of Jakeh. An oracle.

Thus says the man: I am weary, O God,
   I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?^*
2 Surely I am too stupid to be human;
   I do not have human understanding.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
   nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.^*
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
   Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
   Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person’s name?
   And what is the name of the person’s child?
   Surely you know!

⁵ Every word of God proves true;
   he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
⁶ Do not add to his words,
   or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
   do not deny them to me before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
   give me neither poverty nor riches;
   feed me with the food that I need,
⁹ or I shall be full, and deny you,
   and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I shall be poor, and steal,
   and profane the name of my God.

²⁴ Four things on earth are small,
   yet they are exceedingly wise:
²⁵ the ants are a people without strength,
   yet they provide their food in the summer;
²⁶ the badgers are a people without power,
   yet they make their homes in the rocks;
²⁷ the locusts have no king,
   yet all of them march in rank;
²⁸ the lizard^* can be grasped in the hand,
   yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ Three things are stately in their stride;
   four are stately in their gait:
³⁰ the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
   and does not turn back before any;
³¹ the strutting rooster,^* the he-goat,
   and a king striding before^* his people.