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 Yakeh, even the prophecy: the man said unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ukkal,
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 common man.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
Nor have I learned wisdom, so that I should have knowledge of the Holy One.
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 was it that ascended into heaven, and came down again? who gathered the wind in his fists? who bound the waters in a garment? who set up all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou knowest it?”
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every saying of God is purified: he is a shield unto those 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.
Do not add aught 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 do I request 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;
Vanity and lying words do thou remove far from me: neither poverty nor riches give thou unto me; let me eat the bread appointed unto 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 become over-full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord? or lest I become poor, and steal, and trespass against 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 calumniate a servant unto his master: lest he curse thee, and thou incur guilt.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
There is a generation that curseth its father, and doth not bless its mother.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, and yet is not washed [clean] of its 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 its eyes! and its eyelids are so 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 whose string teeth are 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;
Insatiability hath two daughters, [crying, ] Give, give. There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things which never say, 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 nether world; and a barren womb; the earth which is not satisfied with water; and the fire which never saith, 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, this shall the ravens of the valley pick out; and the young eagles shall eat it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Three things there are which are too wonderful for me; and 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 the eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the heart of the sea; and the way of a man with a young woman.
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 wrong.
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
Under three things the earth trembleth, and under four which she cannot bear:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
Under a servant when he becometh king, and a worthless fool when he hath eaten enough bread;
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
Under an odious woman when she is married, and a bond-woman when she dispossesseth her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
There are four which are the little ones of the earth, and they are nevertheless exceedingly wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
The ants are a people not strong, therefore do they prepare in the summer their food;
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
The conies are but a feeble people, therefore do they place on the rocks their houses;
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
The locusts have no king, and yet they go forth in troops altogether;
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The spider thou canst catch with [thy] hands, and yet she is in the palaces of a king.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
Three there are that have a stately step, and four, that are stately in going:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
The lion, the mightiest among beasts, who turneth not round from before any one;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
The light-legged greyhound, and the he-goat; 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 become degraded by lifting up thyself, or if thou hast devised evil, put thy hand to 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.
For the pressure of milk bringeth forth butter, and the pressure of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the pressure of wrath bringeth forth strife.
