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 son of Jakeh—the utterance: This man declared to Ithiel, to 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 like an animal than any human and I do not have the understanding of a human being.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
I have not learned wisdom, nor do I 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 has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands? Who has gathered up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every word of God is tested; he is a shield to those who take refuge 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, or he will discipline you, and you will be proved to be a liar.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things I ask of you, do not withhold them 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 lies far away from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches, just give me the food I need.
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.
For if I have too much, I might deny you and say, “Who is Yahweh?” Or if I become poor, I might steal and profane 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 slander a slave before his master, or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
There is a generation that curses 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.
There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, and yet they are not washed of their filth.
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
There is a generation whose eyes are raised up, and how high 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 generation whose teeth are swords, and their jawbones are like knives, so they may devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
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 leech has two daughters: “Give and give” they cry. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that 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)
Sheol; the barren womb; land that is never satisfied with water; and the fire that never says, “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 mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, his eyes will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, and he will be eaten by the vultures.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
There are three things that are too wonderful for me, four that I do not understand:
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 sky; the way of a snake on 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.
This is the way of an adulteress: she eats and she wipes her mouth and says, “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 the earth trembles, and under four it cannot bear up:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
a slave when he becomes king; a fool when he is filled with food;
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
a hated woman when she marries; and a maid when she takes the place of her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
Four things on earth are small and yet they are very wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
the ants are creatures that are not strong, but they prepare their food in the summer;
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
the rock badgers are not mighty creatures, but they make their homes in the rocks.
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
Locusts have no king, but all of them march in rank.
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands, yet they are found in kings' palaces.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
There are three things that are stately in their stride and four that are stately in how they walk:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
a lion, strongest among wild animals— it does not turn away from anything;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
a strutting rooster; a goat; and a king whose soldiers are beside 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, exalting yourself, or if you have been devising evil— put your hand over your 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.
As churning milk makes butter and as one's nose will produce blood if it is twisted, so deeds done in anger produce conflict.
