Παροιμίαι 30
1 τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους υἱέ φοβήθητι καὶ δεξάμενος αὐτοὺς μετανόει τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν θεῷ καὶ παύομαι
The words of Agur, the son of Jakeh, from Massa. The man says: I am full of weariness, O God, I am full of weariness; O God, I have come to an end:
2 ἀφρονέστατος γάρ εἰμι πάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ φρόνησις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοί
For I am more like a beast than any man, I have no power of reasoning like a man:
3 θεὸς δεδίδαχέν με σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν ἁγίων ἔγνωκα
I have not got wisdom by teaching, so that I might have the knowledge of the Holy One.
4 τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ κατέβη τίς συνήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐν κόλπῳ τίς συνέστρεψεν ὕδωρ ἐν ἱματίῳ τίς ἐκράτησεν πάντων τῶν ἄκρων τῆς γῆς τί ὄνομα αὐτῷ ἢ τί ὄνομα τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτοῦ ἵνα γνῷς
Who has gone up to heaven and come down? who has taken the winds in his hands, prisoning the waters in his robe? by whom have all the ends of the earth been fixed? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if you are able to say?
5 πάντες λόγοι θεοῦ πεπυρωμένοι ὑπερασπίζει δὲ αὐτὸς τῶν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτόν
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
6 μὴ προσθῇς τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ ἐλέγξῃ σε καὶ ψευδὴς γένῃ
Make no addition to his words, or he will make clear your error, and you will be seen to be false.
7 δύο αἰτοῦμαι παρὰ σοῦ μὴ ἀφέλῃς μου χάριν πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν με
I have made request to you for two things; do not keep them from me before my death:
8 μάταιον λόγον καὶ ψευδῆ μακράν μου ποίησον πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς σύνταξον δέ μοι τὰ δέοντα καὶ τὰ αὐτάρκη
Put far from me all false and foolish things: do not give me great wealth or let me be in need, but give me only enough food:
9 ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς ψευδὴς γένωμαι καὶ εἴπω τίς με ὁρᾷ ἢ πενηθεὶς κλέψω καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ
For fear that if I am full, I may be false to you and say, Who is the Lord? or if I am poor, I may become a thief, using the name of my God wrongly.
10 μὴ παραδῷς οἰκέτην εἰς χεῖρας δεσπότου μήποτε καταράσηταί σε καὶ ἀφανισθῇς
Do not say evil of a servant to his master, or he will put a curse on you, and you will get into trouble.
11 ἔκγονον κακὸν πατέρα καταρᾶται τὴν δὲ μητέρα οὐκ εὐλογεῖ
There is a generation who put a curse on their father, and do not give a blessing to their mother.
12 ἔκγονον κακὸν δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν κρίνει τὴν δὲ ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπένιψεν
There is a generation who seem to themselves to be free from sin, but are not washed from their unclean ways.
13 ἔκγονον κακὸν ὑψηλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει τοῖς δὲ βλεφάροις αὐτοῦ ἐπαίρεται
There is a generation, O how full of pride are their eyes! O how their brows are lifted up!
14 ἔκγονον κακὸν μαχαίρας τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔχει καὶ τὰς μύλας τομίδας ὥστε ἀναλίσκειν καὶ κατεσθίειν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοὺς πένητας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων
There is a generation whose teeth are like swords, their strong teeth like knives, for the destruction of the poor from the earth, and of those who are in need from among men.
15 τῇ βδέλλῃ τρεῖς θυγατέρες ἦσαν ἀγαπήσει ἀγαπώμεναι καὶ αἱ τρεῖς αὗται οὐκ ἐνεπίμπλασαν αὐτήν καὶ ἡ τετάρτη οὐκ ἠρκέσθη εἰπεῖν ἱκανόν
The night-spirit has two daughters, Give, give. There are three things which are never full, even four which never say, Enough:
16 ᾅδης καὶ ἔρως γυναικὸς καὶ τάρταρος καὶ γῆ οὐκ ἐμπιπλαμένη ὕδατος καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ πῦρ οὐ μὴ εἴπωσιν ἀρκεῖ (Sheol h7585)
The underworld, and the woman without a child; the earth which never has enough water, and the fire which never says, Enough. (Sheol h7585)
17 ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρός ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν
The eye which makes sport of a father, and sees no value in a mother when she is old will be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and be food for the young eagles.
18 τρία δέ ἐστιν ἀδύνατά μοι νοῆσαι καὶ τὸ τέταρτον οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω
There are three things, the wonder of which overcomes me, even four things outside my knowledge:
19 ἴχνη ἀετοῦ πετομένου καὶ ὁδοὺς ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας καὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης καὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι
The way of an eagle in the air; 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 girl.
20 τοιαύτη ὁδὸς γυναικὸς μοιχαλίδος ἥ ὅταν πράξῃ ἀπονιψαμένη οὐδέν φησιν πεπραχέναι ἄτοπον
This is the way of a false wife; she takes food, and, cleaning her mouth, says, I have done no wrong.
21 διὰ τριῶν σείεται ἡ γῆ τὸ δὲ τέταρτον οὐ δύναται φέρειν
For three things the earth is moved, and there are four which it will not put up with:
22 ἐὰν οἰκέτης βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἄφρων πλησθῇ σιτίων
A servant when he becomes a king; a man without sense when his wealth is increased;
23 καὶ οἰκέτις ἐὰν ἐκβάλῃ τὴν ἑαυτῆς κυρίαν καὶ μισητὴ γυνὴ ἐὰν τύχῃ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ
A hated woman when she is married; and a servant-girl who takes the place of her master's wife.
24 τέσσαρα δέ ἐστιν ἐλάχιστα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν σοφώτερα τῶν σοφῶν
There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are very wise:
25 οἱ μύρμηκες οἷς μὴ ἔστιν ἰσχὺς καὶ ἑτοιμάζονται θέρους τὴν τροφήν
The ants are a people not strong, but they put by a store of food in the summer;
26 καὶ οἱ χοιρογρύλλιοι ἔθνος οὐκ ἰσχυρόν οἳ ἐποιήσαντο ἐν πέτραις τοὺς ἑαυτῶν οἴκους
The conies are only a feeble people, but they make their houses in the rocks;
27 ἀβασίλευτόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀκρὶς καὶ ἐκστρατεύει ἀφ’ ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως
The locusts have no king, but they all go out in bands;
28 καὶ καλαβώτης χερσὶν ἐρειδόμενος καὶ εὐάλωτος ὢν κατοικεῖ ἐν ὀχυρώμασιν βασιλέως
You may take the lizard in your hands, but it is in kings' houses.
29 τρία δέ ἐστιν ἃ εὐόδως πορεύεται καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ὃ καλῶς διαβαίνει
There are three things whose steps are good to see, even four whose goings are fair:
30 σκύμνος λέοντος ἰσχυρότερος κτηνῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται οὐδὲ καταπτήσσει κτῆνος
The lion, which is strongest among beasts, not turning from his way for any;
31 καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐμπεριπατῶν θηλείαις εὔψυχος καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου καὶ βασιλεὺς δημηγορῶν ἐν ἔθνει
The war-horse, and the he-goat, and the king when his army is with him.
32 ἐὰν πρόῃ σεαυτὸν εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἐκτείνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου μετὰ μάχης ἀτιμασθήσῃ
If you have done foolishly in lifting yourself up, or if you have had evil designs, put your hand over your mouth.
33 ἄμελγε γάλα καὶ ἔσται βούτυρον ἐὰν δὲ ἐκπιέζῃς μυκτῆρας ἐξελεύσεται αἷμα ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλκῃς λόγους ἐξελεύσονται κρίσεις καὶ μάχαι
The shaking of milk makes butter, and the twisting of the nose makes blood come: so the forcing of wrath is a cause of fighting.
