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 Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, 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 of 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 have not known the science of saints.
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 hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
6 Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not 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 beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of 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 should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear the name of my God.
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up 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.
A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off 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 horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is 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 the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is 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 that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
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 air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
20 Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.
Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: 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 disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
There are four very little things of 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, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
A cock girded about the loins: and 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 that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon 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.
And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
