THREE things make earth unquiet | |
And four she cannot brook | |
The godly Agur counted them | |
And put them in a book | |
Those Four Tremendous Curses | 5 |
With which mankind is cursed | |
But a Servant when He Reigneth | |
Old Agur entered first. | |
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An Handmaid that is Mistress | |
We need not call upon, | 10 |
A Fool when he is full of Meat | |
Will fall asleep anon. | |
An Odious Woman Married | |
May bear a babe and mend, | |
But a Servant when He Reigneth | 15 |
Is Confusion to the end. | |
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His feet are swift to tumult, | |
His hands are slow to toil, | |
His ears are deaf to reason, | |
His lips are loud in broil. | 20 |
He knows no use for power | |
Except to show his might. | |
He gives no heed to judgment | |
Unless it prove him right. | |
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Because he served a master | 25 |
Before his Kingship came, | |
And hid in all disaster | |
Behind his masters name, | |
So, when his Folly opens | |
The unnecessary hells, | 30 |
A Servant when He Reigneth | |
Throws the blame on some one else. | |
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His vows are lightly spoken, | |
His faith is hard to bind, | |
His trust is easy broken, | 35 |
He fears his fellow-kind. | |
The nearest mob will move him | |
To break the pledge he gave | |
Oh a Servant when He Reigneth | |
Is more than ever slave! | 40 |
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