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 Agur the son of Jakeh, [even] the prophecy: the man spake unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal,
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Surely I [am] more brutish than [any] man, and have not the understanding of a man.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.
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, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what [is] his name, and what [is] his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every word of God [is] pure: he [is] a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
6 Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two [things] have I required of thee; deny me [them] not 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 lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
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 I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be found guilty.
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.
[There is] a generation [that are] pure in their own eyes, and [yet] is not 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, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.
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, whose teeth [are as] swords, and their jaw teeth [as] knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy 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 horseleach hath two daughters, [crying], Give, give. There are three [things that] are never satisfied, [yea], four [things] say not, [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)
The grave; and the barren womb; the earth [that] is not filled with water; and the fire [that] saith not, [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 despiseth to obey [his] mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
There be three [things which] are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:
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 with a maid.
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 of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness.
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
For three [things] the earth is disquieted, and for four [which] it cannot bear:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
For a servant when he reigneth; and 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.
For an odious [woman] when she is married; and an handmaid that is heir to her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
There be four [things which are] little upon the earth, but they [are] exceeding wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
The ants [are] a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
The conies [are but] a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks;
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
The locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands;
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings’ palaces.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
There be three [things] which go well, yea, four are comely in going:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
A lion [which is] strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
A greyhound; an he goat also; and a king, against whom [there is] no rising up.
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.
If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, [lay] thine hand upon thy 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.
Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the forcing of wrath bringeth forth strife.
