¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the oracle: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

¹ Agur, Yake izo sanney, jawaabi no: Bora ne: «Ay n'ay boŋ fargandi, ya Irikoy. Ay n'ay boŋ fargandi, ay ban mo.

¹The words of Agur the son of Jakeh; The oracle. The man saith unto Ithiel, unto Ithiel and Ucal:

²“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

² Zama ay bisa boro kulu alman alhaali, Ay sinda boro dumi fahamay.

²Surely I am more brutish than any man, And have not the understanding of a man;

³I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.

³ Ay mana laakal dondon, Ay sinda hananyaŋ bayray mo.

³And I have not learned wisdom, Neither have I the knowledge of the Holy One.

⁴Who has ascended up 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?

⁴ May no ka kaaru beena ra yongo ka ye ka zumbu koyne? May no ka haw kaŋ ga faaru margu-margu nga kambe faata ra? May no ka hari haw nga kwaayo ra? May no ka ndunnya kulu meyey tabbatandi? Mate a maa, mate a izo mo maa, da ni ga bay?

⁴Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound the waters in his garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest?

⁵“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

⁵ Irikoy sanni kulu neesante no, Nga wo koray no borey kaŋ ga de a gaa se.

⁵Every word of God is tried: He is a shield unto them that take refuge in him.

⁶Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

⁶ Ma si tonton a sanney gaa, Zama a ma si deeni ni gaa, I ma ni gar mo tangarikom no.

⁶Add thou not unto his words, Lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.

⁷“Two things I have asked of you; don’t deny me before I die:

⁷ Hari hinka no ay ceeci ni gaa, Ma si wangu nd'ey ay se, hala ay ga bu.

⁷Two things have I asked of thee; Deny me [them] not before I die:

⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me;

⁸ Ma me sanni yaamo nda tangari sanni moorandi ay. Ma s'ay no talkataray wala arzaka duure. M'ay ŋwaayandi nda ŋwaari kaŋ ga saba nd'ay laamo.

⁸Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is needful for me:

⁹lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

⁹ Ay ma si kungu ka ni kakaw ka ne: ‹May no ga ti Rabbi?› Ay ma si talka mo, hala ay ma zay k'ay Irikoyo maa sara.

⁹Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, And use profanely the name of my God.

¹⁰“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

¹⁰ Ma si bannya mimanda a windikoyo se, Zama a ma si ni laali, I ma ni lasaabu taali-teeri mo.

¹⁰Slander not a servant unto his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou be held guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

¹¹ Izeyaŋ go no kaŋ i zamana ra i ga ngey baabo laali, I si ngey nyaŋo sifa mo.

¹¹There is a generation that curse their father, And bless not their mother.

¹²There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.

¹² Izeyaŋ go no kaŋ ga hanan ngey boŋ diyaŋ gaa, Kulu nda yaadin i mana nyumay ngey kazaamatara gaa.

¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, And [yet] are not washed from their filthiness.

¹³There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.

¹³ Izeyaŋ go no kaŋ i mo gaa boŋbeera sinda misa! I moy mo, beene no i go.

¹³There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! And their eyelids are lifted up.

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy from among men.

¹⁴ Izeyaŋ go no kaŋ hinjey ga hima takubayaŋ. I workondey mo danga zaamayaŋ cine no, Zama i ga talkey ŋwa i ma ban ndunnya ra, Laamikoyey mo ma ban borey ra.

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are [as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, To devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

¹⁵“The leach has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough:’

¹⁵ Ndollim gonda nga ize way hinka, I maayey ga ti: ‹W'ay no!› da ‹W'ay no!› Hari hinza go no kaŋ yaŋ si kungu abada, Oho, hala mo itaaci kaŋ yaŋ si ne: ‹A wasa.›

¹⁵The horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, [Yea], four that say not, Enough:

¹⁶ Sheol Sheol is the place of the dead. , the barren womb; the earth that is not satisfied with water; and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough.’

¹⁶ Alaahara da waygunu gunde, Da laabu kaŋ si kungu nda hari, Da danji. I si ne: ‹A wasa.›

¹⁶Sheol; and the barren womb; The earth that is not satisfied with water; And the fire that saith not, Enough.

¹⁷“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother: the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁷ Mo kaŋ na nga baaba hahaara, A donda nga nyaŋo ganayaŋ mo, Gooro ra gaarey g'a dagu-dagu, Zeeban izey mo g'a ŋwa.

¹⁷The eye that mocketh at his father, And despiseth to obey his mother, The ravens of the valley shall pick it out, And the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁸“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

¹⁸ Hari hinza go no kaŋ n'ay dambarandi, Hala i bisa ay gaabi, Oho, hala mo itaaci kaŋ ay mana i bay. Ngey neeya:

¹⁸There are three things which are too wonderful for me, Yea, four which I know not:

¹⁹The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent on a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maiden.

¹⁹ Zeeban deesiyaŋ beene batama ra, Da gondi diraw tondi boŋ, Da hi diraw teeku bindi ra, Da arwasu teerey wandiyo do.

¹⁹The 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 maiden.

²⁰“So is the way of an adulterous woman: she eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

²⁰ Wayboro kaŋ ga zina, a teerey neeya: A ga ŋwa, a ma nga me tuusu, a ma ne: ‹Ay mana goy laalo kulu te!›

²⁰So is the way of an adulterous woman; She eateth, and wipeth her mouth, And saith, I have done no wickedness.

²¹“For three things the earth tremble, and under four, it can’t bear up:

²¹ Hari hinza sabbay se no ndunnya ga jijiri, Hala itaaci se zaati, kaŋ yaŋ a si hin ka suuru nd'ey:

²¹For three things the earth doth tremble, And for four, [which] it cannot bear:

²²For a servant when he is king; a fool when he is filled with food;

²² Da bannya te bonkooni, Da saamo kungu nda ŋwaari,

²²For a servant when he is king; And a fool when he is filled with food;

²³for an unloved woman when she is married; and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

²³ Da wayboro kaŋ i dond'a hiiji, Da koŋŋa na nga fu-koyo tubu.

²³For an odious woman when she is married; And a handmaid that is heir to her mistress.

²⁴“There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:

²⁴ Hari taaci go no kaŋ yaŋ ga kayna ndunnya boŋ, Amma i gonda laakal gumo:

²⁴There are four things which are little upon the earth, But they are exceeding wise:

²⁵the ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

²⁵ Nkondo izey manti gaabikooniyaŋ no, Kulu nda yaadin i ga ngey ŋwaaro soola kaydiya ra.

²⁵The ants are a people not strong, Yet they provide their food in the summer;

²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

²⁶ Tondi-boŋ-hansey ya jama no kaŋ sinda gaabi, Amma i ga ngey windey te tondey ra.

²⁶The conies are but a feeble folk, Yet make they their houses in the rocks;

²⁷The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

²⁷ Do-izey sinda bonkooni, Amma i ga dira sata-sata.

²⁷The locusts have no king, Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

²⁸You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

²⁸ Citta ga di nda nga kambe izey, A go mo koyey faadey ra.

²⁸The lizard taketh hold with her hands, Yet is she in kings' palaces.

²⁹“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:

²⁹ Hari hinza go no kaŋ yaŋ ga zankam ngey dirawey ra, Oho, hala itaaci zaati, Kaŋ yaŋ ga zankam ngey dirawey ra:

²⁹There are three things which are stately in their march, Yea, four which are stately in going:

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

³⁰ Muusu beeri kaŋ gonda gaabi ka bisa ganji hamey kulu, A si kamba boro kulu se.

³⁰The lion, which is mightiest among beasts, And turneth not away for any;

³¹the greyhound, the male goat also; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

³¹ Da wongu bari gu mo, da hincin jindi, Da bonkooni da nga wongu marga mo.

³¹The greyhound; the he-goat also; And the king against whom there is no rising up.

³²“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.

³² Da ni na saamotaray te ka ni boŋ beerandi, Wala da ni na hari laalo fongu, Kala ma ni kambe dake ni meyo gaa.

³²If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, Or if thou hast thought evil, [Lay] thy hand upon thy mouth.

³³For as the churning of milk brings forth butter, and the wringing of the nose brings forth blood; so the forcing of wrath brings forth strife.”

³³ Zama wa karyaŋ ga kande ji, Niine musayyaŋ mo ga kande kuri, Yaadin mo no futay kankamandiyaŋ ga kande yanje.»

³³For the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, And the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood; So the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.