The man declares, I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and worn out.^[b]
2 Surely I am too ^(A)stupid to be a man.
    I have not the understanding of a man.
³ I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of ^(B)the Holy One.
⁴ Who has ^(C)ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has ^(D)gathered the wind in his fists?
Who has ^(E)wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all ^(F)the ends of the earth?
^(G)What is his name, and what is his son's name?
    Surely you know!

^5 (H)Every word of God proves true;
    he is ^(I)a shield to those who take refuge in him.
^6 (J)Do not add to his words,
    lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁷ Two things I ask of you;
    deny them not to me ^(K)before I die:
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
    give me neither poverty nor riches;
    feed me with the food that is ^(L)needful for me,
⁹ lest I be ^(M)full and ^(N)deny you
    and say, ^(O)“Who is the Lord?”
or lest I be poor and steal
    ^(P)and profane the name of my God.

¹⁵ The leech has two daughters:
    Give and Give.^[a]
(A)Three things are never satisfied;
    ^(B)four never say, “Enough”:
^16 (C)Sheol, ^(D)the barren womb,
    the land never satisfied with water,
    and the fire that never says, “Enough.”

¹⁷ The eye that ^(E)mocks a father
    and ^(F)scorns to obey a mother
will ^(G)be picked out by ^(H)the ravens of the valley
    and eaten by the vultures.

^18 (I)Three things are ^(J)too wonderful for me;
    ^(K)four I do not understand:
¹⁹ the way of an eagle in the sky,
    the way of a serpent on a rock,
the way of a ship on the high seas,
    and the way of a man with a virgin.

²⁰ This is the way of an adulteress:
    she eats and wipes her mouth
    and says, “I have done no wrong.”

²¹ Under ^(L)three things ^(M)the earth trembles;
    under ^(N)four it cannot bear up:
^22 (O)a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is ^(P)filled with food;
^23 (Q)an unloved woman when she ^(R)gets a husband,
    and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

^24 (S)Four things on earth are small,
    but they are exceedingly wise:
^25 (T)the ants are a people not strong,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
^26 (U)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
    yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
²⁷ the locusts have no ^(V)king,
    yet all of them march in ^(W)rank;
²⁸ the lizard you can take in your hands,
    yet it is in kings' palaces.

^29 (X)Three things are stately in their tread;
    ^(Y)four are stately in their stride:
³⁰ the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
    and ^(Z)does not turn back before any;
³¹ the ^(AA)strutting rooster,^[b] the he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.^[c]

³² If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
    or if you have been devising evil,
    ^(AB)put your hand on your mouth.
³³ For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.