| א דִּבְרֵי, אָגוּר בִּן-יָקֶה--הַמַּשָּׂא: נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר, לְאִיתִיאֵל; לְאִיתִיאֵל וְאֻכָל. |
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; the burden. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal: |
| ב כִּי בַעַר אָנֹכִי מֵאִישׁ; וְלֹא-בִינַת אָדָם לִי. |
2 Surely I am brutish, unlike a man, and have not the understanding of a man; |
| ג וְלֹא-לָמַדְתִּי חָכְמָה; וְדַעַת קְדֹשִׁים אֵדָע. |
3 And I have not learned wisdom, that I should have the knowledge of the Holy One. |
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ד מִי עָלָה-שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד, מִי אָסַף-רוּחַ בְּחָפְנָיו מִי צָרַר-מַיִם בַּשִּׂמְלָה-- מִי, הֵקִים כָּל-אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ: מַה-שְּׁמוֹ וּמַה-שֶּׁם-בְּנוֹ, כִּי תֵדָע. |
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? {N} Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? {N} Who hath established all the ends of the earth? {N} What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest? |
| ה כָּל-אִמְרַת אֱלוֹהַּ צְרוּפָה; מָגֵן הוּא, לַחֹסִים בּוֹ. |
5 Every word of God is tried; He is a shield unto them that take refuge in Him. |
| ו אַל-תּוֹסְףְּ עַל-דְּבָרָיו: פֶּן-יוֹכִיחַ בְּךָ וְנִכְזָבְתָּ. | 6 Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. {P} |
| ז שְׁתַּיִם, שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאִתָּךְ; אַל-תִּמְנַע מִמֶּנִּי, בְּטֶרֶם אָמוּת. |
7 Two things have I asked of Thee; deny me them not before I die: |
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ח שָׁוְא וּדְבַר-כָּזָב, הַרְחֵק מִמֶּנִּי-- רֵאשׁ וָעֹשֶׁר, אַל-תִּתֶּן-לִי; הַטְרִיפֵנִי, לֶחֶם חֻקִּי. |
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; {N} feed me with mine allotted bread; |
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ט פֶּן אֶשְׂבַּע, וְכִחַשְׁתִּי-- וְאָמַרְתִּי, מִי יְהוָה: וּפֶן-אִוָּרֵשׁ וְגָנַבְתִּי; וְתָפַשְׂתִּי, שֵׁם אֱלֹהָי. |
9 Lest I be full, and deny, and say: 'Who is the LORD?' {N} Or lest I be poor, and steal, and profane the name of my God. {P} |
| י אַל-תַּלְשֵׁן עֶבֶד, אֶל-אֲדֹנָו: פֶּן-יְקַלֶּלְךָ וְאָשָׁמְתָּ. |
10 Slander not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. |
| יא דּוֹר, אָבִיו יְקַלֵּל; וְאֶת-אִמּוֹ, לֹא יְבָרֵךְ. |
11 There is a generation that curse their father, and do not bless their mother. |
| יב דּוֹר, טָהוֹר בְּעֵינָיו; וּמִצֹּאָתוֹ, לֹא רֻחָץ. |
12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
| יג דּוֹר, מָה-רָמוּ עֵינָיו; וְעַפְעַפָּיו, יִנָּשֵׂאוּ. |
13 There is a generation, Oh how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. |
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יד דּוֹר, חֲרָבוֹת שִׁנָּיו-- וּמַאֲכָלוֹת מְתַלְּעֹתָיו: לֶאֱכֹל עֲנִיִּים מֵאֶרֶץ; וְאֶבְיוֹנִים, מֵאָדָם. |
14 There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their great teeth as knives, {N} to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men. |
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טו לַעֲלוּקָה, שְׁתֵּי בָנוֹת-- הַב הַב: שָׁלוֹשׁ הֵנָּה, לֹא תִשְׂבַּעְנָה; אַרְבַּע, לֹא-אָמְרוּ הוֹן. |
15 The horseleech hath two daughters: 'Give, give.' {N} There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four that say not: 'Enough': |
| טז שְׁאוֹל, וְעֹצֶר-רָחַם: אֶרֶץ, לֹא-שָׂבְעָה מַּיִם; וְאֵשׁ, לֹא-אָמְרָה הוֹן. |
16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that saith not: 'Enough.' |
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יז עַיִן, תִּלְעַג לְאָב-- וְתָבֻז לִיקְּהַת-אֵם: יִקְּרוּהָ, עֹרְבֵי-נַחַל; וְיֹאכְלוּהָ בְנֵי-נָשֶׁר. |
17 The eye that mocketh at his father, and despiseth to obey his mother, {N} the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young vultures shall eat it. {P} |
| יח שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה, נִפְלְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי; וארבע וְאַרְבָּעָה, לֹא יְדַעְתִּים. |
18 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: |
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יט 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; {N} the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman. |
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כ כֵּן, דֶּרֶךְ אִשָּׁה-- מְנָאָפֶת: אָכְלָה, וּמָחֲתָה פִיהָ; וְאָמְרָה, לֹא-פָעַלְתִּי אָוֶן. |
20 So is the way of an adulterous woman; {N} she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: 'I have done no wickedness.' {P} |
| כא תַּחַת שָׁלוֹשׁ, רָגְזָה אֶרֶץ; וְתַחַת אַרְבַּע, לֹא-תוּכַל שְׂאֵת. |
21 For three things the earth doth quake, and for four it cannot endure: |
| כב תַּחַת-עֶבֶד, כִּי יִמְלוֹךְ; וְנָבָל, כִּי יִשְׂבַּע-לָחֶם. |
22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a churl when he is filled with food; |
| כג תַּחַת שְׂנוּאָה, כִּי תִבָּעֵל; וְשִׁפְחָה, כִּי תִירַשׁ גְּבִרְתָּהּ. | 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and a handmaid that is heir to her mistress. {P} |
| כד אַרְבָּעָה הֵם, קְטַנֵּי-אָרֶץ; וְהֵמָּה, חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִים. |
24 There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: |
| כה הַנְּמָלִים, עַם לֹא-עָז; וַיָּכִינוּ בַקַּיִץ לַחְמָם. |
25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; |
| כו שְׁפַנִּים, עַם לֹא-עָצוּם; וַיָּשִׂימוּ בַסֶּלַע בֵּיתָם. |
26 The rock-badgers are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the crags; |
| כז מֶלֶךְ, אֵין לָאַרְבֶּה; וַיֵּצֵא חֹצֵץ כֻּלּוֹ. |
27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; |
| כח שְׂמָמִית, בְּיָדַיִם תְּתַפֵּשׂ; וְהִיא, בְּהֵיכְלֵי מֶלֶךְ. | 28 The spider thou canst take with the hands, yet is she in kings' palaces. {P} |
| כט שְׁלֹשָׁה הֵמָּה, מֵיטִיבֵי צָעַד; וְאַרְבָּעָה, מֵיטִבֵי לָכֶת. |
29 There are three things which are stately in their march, yea, four which are stately in going: |
| ל לַיִשׁ, גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה; וְלֹא-יָשׁוּב, מִפְּנֵי-כֹל. |
30 The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; |
| לא זַרְזִיר מָתְנַיִם אוֹ-תָיִשׁ; וּמֶלֶךְ, אַלְקוּם עִמּוֹ. |
31 The greyhound; the he-goat also; and the king, against whom there is no rising up. |
| לב אִם-נָבַלְתָּ בְהִתְנַשֵּׂא; וְאִם-זַמּוֹתָ, יָד לְפֶה. |
32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast planned devices, lay thy hand upon thy mouth. |
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לג כִּי מִיץ חָלָב, יוֹצִיא חֶמְאָה-- וּמִיץ-אַף, יוֹצִיא דָם; וּמִיץ אַפַּיִם, יוֹצִיא רִיב. |
33 For the churning of milk bringeth forth curd, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; {N} so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife. {P} |