Thus says the man: I am weary, O God;
    I am weary, O God, and am wasting away.^[a](A)
2 Surely I am too stupid to be human;
    I do not have human understanding.^(B)
3 I have not learned wisdom,
    nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.^[b](C)
4 Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
    Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
    Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person’s name?
    And what is the name of the person’s child?
    Surely you know!^(D)

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

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

²⁴ Four things on earth are small,
    yet they are exceedingly wise:
²⁵ the ants are a people without strength,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;^(A)
26 the badgers are a people without power,
    yet they make their homes in the rocks;^(B)
27 the locusts have no king,
    yet all of them march in rank;
²⁸ the lizard^[a] can be grasped in the hand,
    yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

²⁹ Three things are stately in their stride;
    four are stately in their gait:
³⁰ the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
    and does not turn back before any;^(C)