Proverbs 30
1 The wordis of hym that gaderith, of the sone spuynge. The prophesie which a man spak, with whom God was, and which man was coumfortid bi God dwellyng with hym,
The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
“I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.
4 Who stiede in to heuene, and cam doun? Who helde togidere the spirit in hise hondis? who bonde togidere watris as in a cloth? Who reiside alle the endis of erthe? What is name of hym? and what is the name of his sone, if thou knowist?
Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.
6 Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.
8 Make thou fer fro me vanyte and wordis of leesyng; yyue thou not to me beggery and richessis; yyue thou oneli necessaries to my lijflode;
Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,
9 lest perauenture Y be fillid, and be drawun to denye, and seie, Who is the Lord? and lest Y compellid bi nedynesse, stele, and forswere the name of my God.
lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God.
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.
14 A generacioun that hath swerdis for teeth, and etith with hise wank teeth; that it ete nedi men of erthe, and the porails of men.
There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men.
15 The watir leche hath twei douytris, seiynge, Brynge, bringe. Thre thingis ben vnable to be fillid, and the fourthe, that seith neuere, It suffisith;
The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:
16 helle, and the mouth of the wombe, and the erthe which is neuere fillid with water; but fier seith neuere, It suffisith. (Sheol h7585)
Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’ (Sheol h7585)
17 Crowis of the stronde picke out thilke iye, that scorneth the fadir, and that dispisith the child beryng of his modir; and the briddis of an egle ete that iye.
The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:
19 the weye of an egle in heuene, the weie of a serpent on a stoon, the weie of a schip in the myddil of the see, and the weie of a man in yong wexynge age.
the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man in adolescence.
20 Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.
Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.
32 He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.
There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth.
33 Forsothe he that thristith strongli teetis, to drawe out mylk, thristith out botere; and he that smytith greetli, drawith out blood; and he that stirith iris, bringith forth discordis.
But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.”
