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,
These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
For I am the most simple of all men, and there is not in me the wisdom of men.
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the 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 has gone up to heaven, and come down? who has gathered the winds in his bosom? who has wrapped up the waters in a garment? who has dominion of all the ends of the earth? what is his name? or what is the name of his children?
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
6 Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
Add not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be made a liar.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things I ask of thee; take not favour 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 vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
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 filled and become false, and say, Who sees me? or be poor and steal, and swear [vainly] by the name of God.
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse thee, and thou be utterly destroyed.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
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 wicked generation have swords [for] teeth and jaw-teeth [as] knives, so as to destroy and devour the lowly from the earth, and the poor of them 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 horse-leech had three dearly-beloved daughters: and these three did not satisfy her; and the fourth was not contented so as to 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 grave, and the love of a woman, and the earth not filled with water; water also and fire will not say, 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 laughs to scorn a father, and dishonours the old age of a mother, let the ravens of the valleys pick it out, and let the young eagles devour it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth 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 track of a flying eagle; and the ways of a serpent on a rock; and the paths of a ship passing through the sea; and the ways 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.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it cannot bear:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
if a servant reign; or a fool be 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.
or if a maid-servant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who 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, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
and a cock walking in boldly among the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
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 abandon thyself to mirth, and stretch forth thine hand in a quarrel, thou shalt be disgraced.
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.
Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if thou wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if thou extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
