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,
Words of Agur, son of Jakeh, the burden, a declaration of the man to Ithiel—to Ithiel and Ucal: I have wearied myself [for] God, I have wearied myself [for] God, and am consumed.
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
For I am more brutish than anyone, And do not have the understanding of a man.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
Nor have I learned wisdom, Yet I know the knowledge of the Holy Ones.
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 went up to the heavens, and comes down? Who has gathered the wind in His fists? Who has bound waters in a garment? Who established all ends of the earth? What [is] His Name? And what [is] His Son’s Name? Surely you know!
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every saying of God [is] tried, He [is] a shield to those trusting 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 to His words, lest He reason with you, And you have been found false.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things I have asked from You, Do not withhold from 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;
Put vanity and a lying word far from me, Do not give poverty or wealth to me, Cause me to eat the bread of my portion,
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 satiated, and have denied, And have said, “Who [is] YHWH?” And lest I am poor, and have stolen, And have laid hold of 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 disapprove of you, and you are found guilty.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
A generation lightly esteems their father, And does not bless their mother.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
A generation—pure in their own eyes, But not washed from their own filth.
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
A generation—how high are their eyes, Indeed, 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.
A generation—their teeth [are] swords, And their jaw-teeth [are] knives, To consume the poor from 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;
To the leech [are] two daughters—Give! Give! Behold, three things are not satisfied, Four have not said “Sufficiency”;
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)
Sheol, and a restrained womb, Earth—it [is] not satisfied [with] water, And fire—it has not said, “Sufficiency,” (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.
An eye that mocks at a father, And despises to obey a mother, Ravens of the valley dig it out, And young eagles eat it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Three things have been too wonderful for me, Indeed, four that I have not known:
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 heavens, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the heart 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.
So—the way of an adulterous woman, She has eaten and has wiped her mouth, And has said, “I have not done iniquity.”
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
For three things has earth been troubled, And for four—it is not able to bear:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
For a servant when he reigns, And a fool when he is satisfied with bread,
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
For a hated one when she rules, And a maidservant when she succeeds her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
Four [are] little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
The ants [are] a people not strong, And they prepare their food in summer,
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
hyraxes [are] a people not strong, And they place their house in a rock,
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
There is no king to the locust, And it goes out—each one shouting,
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
A spider with two hands takes hold, And is in the palaces of a king.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
There are three going well, Indeed, four are good in going:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
An old lion—mighty among beasts, That does not turn back from the face of any,
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
A girt one of the loins, Also a male goat, And a king—troops with him.
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 you have been foolish in lifting yourself up, And if you have devised evil—hand to 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 churning of milk brings out butter, And the wringing of the nose brings out blood, And the forcing of anger brings out strife!
