Lyrics

[Verse 1]
The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the oracle.
The man declares to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
“Surely I am more ignorant than anyone,
And I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
Nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in His fists?
Who has wrapped the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is His name, and what is His Son’s name? Tell me if you know!”
[Verse 2]
Every word of God is pure;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words,
Lest He rebuke you and you be found a liar.
[Verse 3]
Two things I ask of You;
Do not deny them to me before I die:
Remove falsehood and lies far from me;
Give me neither poverty nor riches;
Provide me with the food that is my portion,
Lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the Lord?”
Or lest I be poor and steal,
And profane the name of my God.
[Chorus]
The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.
With it we bless our Lord and Father,
With it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
My brothers, these things ought not to be so.
[Verse 4]
Do not slander a servant to his master,
Lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
There is a generation that curses its father
And does not bless its mother.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,
Yet is not washed from its filthiness.
There is a generation—oh, how lofty are their eyes!
And their eyelids are lifted up.
There is a generation whose teeth are swords,
Whose fangs are knives,
To devour the afflicted from the earth,
The needy from among people.
[Bridge 1]
The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body,
Setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.
No human being can tame the tongue,
It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison as well.
[Verse 5]
The leech has two daughters: “Give” and “Give.”
Three things are never satisfied;
Four never say, “Enough”:
The grave, the barren womb,
Land that is never satisfied with water,
And fire that never says, “Enough.”
The eye that mocks a father
And scorns obedience to a mother—
The ravens of the valley will peck it out,
And the young vultures will eat it.
[Verse 6]
There are three things too wonderful for me;
Four that I do not understand:
The way of an eagle in the sky,
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 with a young woman.
This is the way of an adulterous woman:
She eats, wipes her mouth,
And says, “I have done no wrong.”
[Verse 7]
Under three things the earth trembles;
Under four it cannot bear:
A servant when he becomes king,
A fool when filled with food,
An unloved woman when she marries,
And a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.
There are four things on earth that are small,
Yet exceedingly wise:
Ants are not a strong people,
Yet they store food in summer;
Rock badgers are not a mighty people,
Yet they make homes in cliffs;
Locusts have no king,
Yet they advance in ranks;
The lizard can be caught with the hand,
Yet it is in kings’ palaces.
[Bridge 2]
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,
Gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits.
Impartial and sincere, sown in peace by the peacemakers,
A harvest of righteousness for those who pursue truth.
[Verse 8]
There are three things that stride majestically;
Four that move with stately grace:
A lion, mighty among beasts,
Who retreats before nothing;
A strutting rooster, a male goat,
And a king with his army around him.
If you have been foolish in exalting yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil,
Put your hand on your mouth.
For churning milk produces butter,
And twisting the nose produces blood,
So stirring up anger produces strife.
[Final Chorus]
The tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.
With it we bless our Lord and Father,
With it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.
From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.
My brothers, these things ought not to be so.