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 his prophecy; the inspired utterance of the man to Ithiel, even to Ithiel and Ucal.
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Truly I am more stupid than any man; There is not in me the understanding of a man.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
I have not learned wisdom, Nor have I gained the knowledge of the Most 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 gone up into heaven and come down? Who hath gathered the wind in his fists? Who hath bound up the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what his son's name, 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 pure; A shield is he to 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 not to his words, Lest he rebuke 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 ask of thee; Withhold them not 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;
Remove far from me falsehood and lies; Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food which is needful 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 violate the name of my God.
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Talk not against a servant to his master, Lest he curse thee, and thou suffer for it.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
There is a class of men that curse their fathers, And do not bless their mothers.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
There is a class who 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.
There is a class, —O how lofty are their eyes, And how are their eyelids 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 class, whose teeth are swords, And their jaw-teeth 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 vampire hath two daughters; “Give! give!” [[is their cry.]] There are three things which are never satisfied; Yea, four which say not, “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 underworld, and the barren womb; The earth, which is not satiated with water, And fire, which 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 a father, And scorneth to obey a 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;
These three things are too wonderful for me; Yea, there are four which I understand 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 track of an eagle in the air, The track of a serpent upon a rock, The track of a ship in the midst of the sea, And the track 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 nothing wrong.”
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
Under three things is the earth disquieted; Yea, under four it cannot bear up:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
Under a servant when he becometh a king, And a fool when he is filled with 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 becometh a wife, And a handmaid when she becometh heir to her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
There are four things which are small upon the earth, Yet are they wise, instructed in wisdom.
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
The ants are a people not strong, Yet they prepare in the summer their food.
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
The conies are a feeble people, Yet do they make 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 do they all go forth in bands.
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The lizard seizeth with its hands, And is in king's palaces.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
These three have a graceful step; Yea, four are graceful in their walk:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
The lion, the hero among beasts, Which turneth not back for any;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
The loin-girded war-horse, the he-goat, And a king who cannot be withstood.
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 been foolish in lifting thyself up, And hast meditated evil, Put thy hand on 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, as the pressing of milk bringeth forth cheese, And as the pressing of the nose bringeth forth blood, So the pressing of anger bringeth forth strife.
