¹Massaiten Agur, Jakes Søns ord. Manden siger: Træt har jeg slidt mig, Gud, træt har jeg slidt mig, Gud, jeg svandt hen;

¹Words of a Gatherer, son of an obedient one, the declaration, an affirmation of the man: — I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.

²thi jeg er for dum til at regnes for Mand, Mands Vid er ikke i mig;

²For I am more brutish than any one, And have not the understanding of a man.

³Visdom lærte jeg ej, den Hellige lærte jeg ikke at kende.

³Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet the knowledge of Holy Ones I know.

⁴Hvo opsteg til Himlen og nedsteg igen, hvo samlede Vinden i sine Næver, hvo bandt Vandet i et Klæde, hvo greb fat om den vide Jord? Hvad er hans Navn og hans Søns Navn? Du kender det jo.

⁴Who went up to heaven, and cometh down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His name? and what His son`s name? Surely thou knowest!

⁵Al Guds Tale er ren, han er Skjold for dem, der lider på ham.

⁵Every saying of God [is] tried, A shield He [is] to those trusting in Him.

⁶Læg intet til hans Ord, at han ikke skal stemple dig som Løgner.

⁶Add not to His words, lest He reason with thee, And thou hast been found false.

⁷Tvende Ting har jeg bedet dig om, nægt mig dem ej, før jeg dør:

⁷Two things I have asked from Thee, Withhold not from me before I die.

⁸Hold Svig og Løgneord fra mig: giv mig hverken Armod eller Rigdom, men lad mig nyde mit tilmålte Brød,

⁸Vanity and a lying word put far from me, Poverty or wealth give not to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,

⁹at jeg ikke skal blive for mæt og fornægte og sige: "Hvo er HERREN?" eller blive for fattig og stjæle og volde min Guds Navn Men.

⁹Lest I become satiated, and have denied, And have said, `Who [is] Jehovah?` And lest I be poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of the name of my God.

¹⁰Bagtal ikke en Træl for hans Herre, at han ikke forbander dig, så du må bøde.

¹⁰Accuse not a servant unto his lord, Lest he disesteem thee, and thou be found guilty.

¹¹Der findes en Slægt, som forbander sin Fader og ikke velsigner sin Moder,

¹¹A generation [is], that lightly esteemeth their father, And their mother doth not bless.

¹²en Slægt, der tykkes sig ren og dog ej har tvættet Snavset af sig,

¹²A generation — pure in their own eyes, But from their own filth not washed.

¹³en Slægt med de stolteste Øjne, hvis Blikke er fulde af Hovmod.

¹³A generation — how high are their eyes, Yea, their eyelids are lifted up.

¹⁴en Slægt, hvis Tænder er Sværd hvis Kæber er skarpe Knive, så de æder de arme ud af Landet, de fattige ud af Menneskers Samfund.

¹⁴A generation — swords [are] their teeth, And knives — their jaw-teeth, To consume the poor from earth, And the needy from [among] men.

¹⁵Blodiglen har to Døtre: Givhid, Givhid! Der er tre, som ikke kan mættes, fire, som aldrig får nok:

¹⁵To the leech [are] two daughters, `Give, give, Lo, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said `Sufficiency;`

¹⁶Dødsriget og det golde Moderliv, Jorden, som aldrig mættes af Vand, og Ilden, som aldrig får nok.

¹⁶Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth — it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire — it hath not said, `Sufficiency,`

¹⁷Den, som håner sin Fader og spotter sin gamle Moder, hans Øje udhakker Bækkens Ravne, Ørneunger får det til Æde.

¹⁷An eye that mocketh at a father, And despiseth to obey a mother, Dig it out do ravens of the valley, And eat it do young eagles.

¹⁸Tre Ting undres jeg over, fire fatter jeg ikke:

¹⁸Three things have been too wonderful for me, Yea, four that I have not known:

¹⁹Ørnens Vej på Himlen, Slangens Vej på Klipper, Skibets Vej på Havet, Mandens Vej til den unge Kvinde.

¹⁹The way of the eagle in the heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart of the sea, And the way of a man in youth.

²⁰Så er en Ægteskabsbryderskes Færd: Hun spiser og tørrer sig om Munden og siger: "Jeg har ikke gjort noget ondt!"

²⁰So — the way of an adulterous woman, She hath eaten and hath wiped her mouth, And hath said, `I have not done iniquity.`

²¹Under tre Ting skælver et Land, fire kan det ikke bære:

²¹For three things hath earth been troubled, And for four — it is not able to bear:

²²En Træl, når han gøres til Konge, en Nidding, når han spiser sig mæt,

²²For a servant when he reigneth, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,

²³en bortstødt Hustru, når hun bliver gift, en Trælkvinde, når hun arver sin Frue.

²³For a hated one when she ruleth, And a maid-servant when she succeedeth her mistress.

²⁴Fire på Jorden er små, visere dog end Vismænd:

²⁴Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:

²⁵Myrerne, de er et Folk uden Styrke, samler dog Føde om Somren;

²⁵The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food,

²⁶Klippegrævlinger, et Folk uden Magt, bygger dog Bolig i Klipper;

²⁶Conies [are] a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house,

²⁷Græshopper, de har ej Konge, drager dog ud i Rad og Række;

²⁷A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out — each one shouting,

²⁸Firbenet, det kan man gribe med Hænder, er dog i Kongers Paladser.

²⁸A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

²⁹Tre skrider stateligt frem, fire har statelig Gang:

²⁹Three there are going well, Yea, four are good in going:

³⁰Løven, Kongen blandt Dyrene, som ikke viger for nogen;

³⁰An old lion — mighty among beasts, That turneth not back from the face of any,

³¹en sadlet Stridshest, en Buk, en Konge midt i sin Hær.

³¹A girt one of the loins, or a he-goat, And a king — no rising up with him.

³²Har du handlet som Dåre i Overmod, tænker du ondt, da Hånd for Mund!

³²If thou hast been foolish in lifting up thyself, And if thou hast devised evil — hand to mouth!

³³Thi Tryk på Mælk giver Ost, Tryk på Næsen Blod og Tryk på Vrede Trætte.

³³For the churning of milk bringeth out butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth out blood, And the forcing of anger bringeth out strife!