1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal, 2 Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man. 3 I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy. 4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell? 5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 Two things have I required of thee; deny me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny thee , and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain .
10 Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty. 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. 12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. 13 There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up. 14 There 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 horseleach hath two daughters, crying , Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea , four things say not, It is enough: 16 The grave; and the barren womb; the earth that is not filled with water; and the fire that saith not, It is enough. 17 The 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 be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: 19 The 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. 20 Such 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 is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear: 22 For a servant when he reigneth; and a fool when he is filled with meat; 23 For an odious woman when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: 25 The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer; 26 The conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands; 28 The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
29 There be three things which go well, yea, four are comely in going: 30 A lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any; 31 A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom there is no rising up. 32 If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth. 33 Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
Omambo wa Agur
1 Inga owo omambo omananḓengu wa Agur, omuzandu wa Jake. Omurumendu ngwi ma tja nai:
“Ami mba kondja na Ndjambi,
ami mba kondja na Ndjambi,
nambano mba pungara.
2 Tjiri, owami eyova tjinene, himundu,
hi nozondunge zomundu.
3 Ami hi rihongere ounongo,
nu mba kaera ondjiviro aihe yaingwi Omuyapuke.
4 Owaṋi ngwe tji rondere keyuru,
tjazumba a heruka rukwao?
Owaṋi ngwe tji wongere ombepo meke re?
Owaṋi ngwe tji kutire omeva mombanda ye?
Owaṋi ngwe tji zikamisire omaandero aehe wehi?
Ena re owaṋi? Nena romuna we owaṋi, ndoovazu mo ve tjiwa?
5 “Embo ngamwa arihe ra Ndjambi oro ouatjiri; eye oruvao ku imba mbe paha omaundiro mu ye. 6 O weza ko embo komambo we kutja eye e he ku tena ne he ku vara otja omunavizeze.”
Omiano omikwao
7 Ami me ku ningire oviṋa vivari, Ndjambi, o ndji rurupara ko ngunda ambi hiya koka: 8 Humburura ovineya novizeze kokure na ami, nu o ndji pe ousyona poo outumbe; ndji parura novikurya mbya yenena mbi me hepa, 9 orondu tji mbe kuta tjinene me ku pataṋa e tja: “Muhona owaṋi” nu tji mba rire omusyona tjapo me rire erunga ne yamburura ena ra Ndjambi wandje.
10 O yamburura omukarere komuhona we kokutja eye e he ku sengi, nove o havererwa otjiṋa hi.
11 Owee korukwato ndu senga ihe naru ha sere ina ondaya, 12 na korukwato ndu rivara oruini kutja orukohoke, nungwari tjandje karuya kohoka kondova yarwo, 13 na korukwato ndu ritongamisa oruini, nu ndu riyera, 14 na korukwato ndu nomayo otja omangaruvyo, notuyeo otja otuvyo okuseseta na vyo ovasyona nokuveramba mehi, nokuseseta na vyo ovahepe nokuveramba movandu.
15 Otjisepambinḓu tji novakazona vevari: “OoNdji pao!” na “Ndji pao!”
Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi he kuta, ii, vine mbi ha tja opuwo,
16 okutja otjovakoke,
nomukazendu ongandji,
nehi ndi ha munu omeva nga yenena,
nomuriro mbu hi na maau tja opuwo!
17 Eho ndi nyekerera ihe, nu nda nyengura ina ngwa kurupa, ra pwa pokutokorwa i omakwara woruronḓu, nokuriwa i ovikuvyona.
18 Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi ri ovihimise ku ami, ii, vine mbi mbi ha tjiwa:
19 Ondjira yonguvi mevaverwa,
nondjira yonyoka kombanda yoruuwa,
nondjira yondjuwoyomomeva mokuvare,
nongaro yorusuvero pokati komurumendu nomukazendu.
20 Ongaro yomukazendu ngu katuka orukupo ya sana ngwi: Tja zu nokukatuka orukupo, u rikoha morutu na tja: “Ami hi tjitire ouvi.”
21 Pe noviṋa vitatu mbi zezerisa ehi, ii, vine ehi mbi ri ha vanga:
22 Omukarere tji ma rire ombara,
neyova tji mari kara novikurya ovingi okurya,
23 nomuyarwakazendu tja kupwa,
nomukarere omukazendu tja yaruka moruveze rwomuhona we oserekaze.
24 Pe noupuka une ouṱiṱi kombanda yehi, nungwari owo ounongo tjinene poviutwa avihe:
25 Ozombuka, ozo kaze nomasa, nungwari mokuṋi ze pwika ovikurya vyazo.
26 Ozohere, ozo kaze nomasa, nungwari ze ungura omaturiro wazo momawe.
27 Ozombahu, ozo kaze nombara, nungwari ze kayenda mouhirona ouwa.
28 Otjikoko, mo yenene okukambura meke roye, nungwari tji kara mozondjuwo zouhona.
29 Pe noviṋa vitatu, mbi risera tji mavi kayenda, ii, vine, mbi risera tji mavi yata:
30 Ongeyama, ndji ri ombanḓe movipuka nu ndji hi notjiṋa i tira.
31 Ohunguriva ondwezu ndji ritongamisa mokati kozonḓenḓu,
nondwezu yongombo, ndji ri ohongora yorupanda,
nombara, ndji ri komurungu wotjimbumba tjayo tjovita.
32 Tji wa ri eyova mokuriyera kwoye, nu tji we ripura nokutjita ouvi, kurama nu ripura. 33 Orondu ove tji wa ṱuku onḓukwa, omaihi ye eta ongondivi; tji wa ṋiṋikiza eyuru, mu pita ombinḓu; nu tji wa pendura omazenge, mo eta ozombata.
