1 T he words of Agur son of Jakeh of Massa: The man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and to Ucal:

هَذِهِ أقوالُ أجُورَ بنِ ياقَةَ مِنْ أهلِ مَسّا. يَقُولُ هَذا الرَّجُلِ: «أنا مُتعَبٌ مُتعَبٌ يا اللهُ، كَيفَ أستَمِرُّ؟»

2 S urely I am too brutish and stupid to be called a man, and I have not the understanding of a man.

أنا أبلَدُ البَشَرِ، وَلَيسَ لِي فَهْمُ الإنسانِ.

3 I have not learned skillful and godly Wisdom, that I should have the knowledge or burden of the Holy One.

لَمْ أتَعَلَّمْ الحِكْمَةَ، وَلَمْ أعرِفْ شَيئاً عَنِ القُدُّوسِ.

4 W ho has ascended into heaven and descended? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound the waters in His garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?

مَنِ الَّذِي صَعِدَ إلَى السَّماءِ ثُمَّ نَزَلَ؟ مَنِ الَّذِي جَمَعَ الرِّياحَ فِي يَدِهِ؟ مَنِ الَّذِي جَمَعَ المِياهَ فِي ثَوبِهِ؟ مَنِ الَّذِي أسَّسَ أقاصِي الأرْضَ؟ ما اسْمُهُ وَما اسْمُ ابنِهِ؟ أخبِرُونِي إنْ كُنتُمْ تَعرِفُونَ.

5 E very word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.

كُلُّ كَلامِ اللهِ نَقِيٌ وَكامِلٌ، وَهُوَ دِرعٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَحتَمُونَ بِهِ.

6 A dd not to His words, lest He reprove you, and you be found a liar.

لا تُضِفْ شَيئاً إلَى كَلامِهِ، وَإلّا سَيُوَبِّخُكَ وَتَكُونُ كاذِباً.

7 T wo things have I asked of You; deny them not to me before I die:

أطلُبُ مِنْكَ أمْرَينِ قَبلَ أنْ أمُوتَ:

8 R emove far from me falsehood and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,

أبعِدْ عَنِّي الكَذِبَ. وَلا تَجعَلْنِي غَنِيّاً جِدّاً وَلا فَقِيراً جِدّاً، بَلْ أعطِنِي كِفايَتِي مِنَ الطَّعامِ.

9 L est I be full and deny You and say, Who is the Lord? Or lest I be poor and steal, and so profane the name of my God.

لِئَلّا أشبَعَ كَثِيراً فَأقُولُ: «مَنْ هُوَ اللهُ ؟» أوْ أُصبِحَ فَقِيراً فَأسرِقَ وَاُسِيئَ إلَى اسمِ إلَهِي.

10 D o not accuse and hurt a servant before his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

لا تَشتَكِ عَلَى عَبدٍ لِسَيِّدِهِ، لِئَلّا يَلعَنَكَ وَتَتَحَمَّلَ الذَّنْبَ.

11 T here is a class of people who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

بَعضُ النّاسِ يَلعَنُونَ الآباءَ وَلا يُبارِكُونَ الأُمَّهاتِ.

12 T here is a class of people who are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their own filth.

بَعضُ النّاسِ يَظُنُّونَ أنفُسَهُمْ أنقِياءَ، وَلَكِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يُزِيلُوا الشَّرَّ مِنْ داخِلِهِمْ.

13 T here is a class of people—oh, how lofty are their eyes and their raised eyelids!

بَعضُ النّاسِ مُتَعالُونَ وَيَنظُرُونَ إلَى الآخَرِينَ بِازدِراءٍ.

14 T here is a class of people whose teeth are as swords and whose fangs as knives, to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among men.

بَعضُ النّاسِ أسنانُهُمْ مِثلُ السُّيُوفِ، وَأضراسُهُمْ مِثلُ السَّكاكِينِ، فَيُبِيدُونَ الفُقَراءَ مِنَ الأرْضِ، وَالمساكِينَ مِنْ بَينِ البَشَرِ.

15 T he leech has two daughters, crying, Give, give! There are three things that are never satisfied, yes, four that do not say, It is enough:

طَمَعُ النّاسِ كَعَلَقَةٍ لَها بِنتانِ تَقُولانِ: «أعطِنِي، أعطِنِي.» هُناكَ ثَلاثَةُ أشياءَ لا تَشبَعُ، وَالرّابِعَةُ لا تَقُولُ: «يَكفِي.»

16 S heol (the place of the dead), the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that says not, It is enough.

الهاوِيَةُ، المَرأةُ الَّتِي لا تُنجِبُ، الأرْضُ الَّتِي لا تَرتَوِي مِنَ الماءِ، وَالنّارُ الَّتِي لا تَقُولُ: «يَكفِي.»

17 T he eye that mocks a father and scorns to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley will pick it out, and the young vultures will devour it.

الإنسانُ الَّذِي يَستَهزِئُ بِأبِيهِ وَيَحتَقِرُ أُمَّهُ، سَتَنْقُرُ غُرْبانُ الوادِي عَينَهُ، وَسَتَأْكُلُهُ النُّسُورُ.

18 T here are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand:

هُناكَ ثَلاثَةُ أُمُورٍ تُدهِشُنِي وَالرّابِعُ لا أفهَمُهُ:

19 T he 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.

طَيَرانُ النَّسرِ فِي السَّماءِ، زَحْفُ الأفعَى بَينَ الصُّخُورِ، سَيْرُ السَّفِينَةِ فِي البَحرِ، وَالرَّجُل الَّذِي يُحِبُّ فَتاةً.

20 T his is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth and says, I have done no wickedness.

الزّانِيَةُ تَأْكُلُ ثُمَّ تَمسَحُ فَمَها وَتَقُولُ: «أنا لَمْ أفعَلْ شَيئاً.»

21 U nder three things the earth is disquieted, and under four it cannot bear up:

أربَعَةُ أُمُورٍ لا تستَطِيعُ الأرْضُ احتِمالَها:

22 U nder a servant when he reigns, a fool when he is filled with food,

أنْ يُصبِحَ العَبْدُ مَلِكاً، أنْ يَشبَعَ الأحْمَقُ،

23 A n unloved and repugnant woman when she is married, and a maidservant when she supplants her mistress.

أنْ تَتَزَوَّجَ المَرأةُ المَكرُوهَةُ، وَأنْ تَأخُذَ الخادِمَةُ مَكانَ سَيِّدَتِها.

24 T here are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

أربَعَةُ أشياءَ صَغِيرَةٍ فِي كُلِّ الأرْضِ وَلَكِنَّها الأكثَرُ حِكمَةً:

25 T he ants are a people not strong, yet they lay up their food in the summer;

النَّملُ يُشَكِّلُ جَماعَةً لَيسَ فِيها قُوَّةٌ، وَلَكِنَّها تَجمَعُ طَعامَها فِي الصَّيفِ.

26 T he conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

الوِبارُ الَّتي تُشَكِّلُ جَماعَةً لَيسَ فِيها قُوَّةٌ، وَلَكِنَّها تَجْعَلُ بَيتَها فِي الصَّخرِ.

27 T he locusts have no king, yet they go forth all of them by bands;

الجَرادُ لَيسَ لَهُ قائِدٌ، وَلَكِنَّهُ يَسلُكُ بِشَكلٍ مُنَظَّمٍ.

28 T he lizard you can seize with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

وَالسِّحلِيَّةُ الَّتِي تُمسَكُ بِاليَدِ، وَلَكِنَّها تَعِيشُ فِي قُصُورِ المُلُوكِ.

29 T here are three things which are stately in step, yes, four which are stately in their stride:

ثَلاثَةُ أشياءَ عَظِيمَةٍ حِينَ تَمشِي، وَالرّابِعُ مُهِيبٌ فِي مَسِيرِهِ:

30 T he lion, which is mightiest among beasts and turns not back before any;

الأسَدُ أعظَمُ الحَيواناتِ البَرِّيَّةِ، وَهُوَ لا يَخافُ أحَداً.

31 T he war horse, the male goat also, and the king against whom there is no uprising.

الدِّيكُ المُتَباهِي، التَّيسُ، وَالمَلِكُ وَسَطَ جَيشِهِ.

32 I f you have done foolishly in exalting yourself, or if you have thought evil, lay your hand upon your mouth.

إنْ جَعَلَكَ غَباؤُكَ تَتَرَفَّعُ وَتَتَباهَى أوْ تُخَطِّطُ لِلشَرِّ، فَخَفْ مِنَ النَّتائِجِ وَاخجَلْ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ.

33 S urely the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.

لِأنَّ خَضَّ الحَلِيبِ يُنتِجُ زُبدَةً، وَعَصرَ الأنفِ يُنتِجُ دَماً، وَكَذَلِكَ فإنَّ إثارَةَ الغَضَبِ تُسَبِّبُ المَشاكِلَ.