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, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:

2 ἀφρονέστατος γάρ εἰμι πάντων ἀνθρώπων καὶ φρόνησις ἀνθρώπων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἐμοί

“Surely I am the most ignorant man, and don’t have a man’s understanding.

3 θεὸς δεδίδαχέν με σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν ἁγίων ἔγνωκα

I have not learned wisdom, neither do I 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 ascended up into heaven, and descended? Who has gathered the wind in his fists? Who has bound the waters in his garment? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is his name, and what is his son’s name, if you know?

5 πάντες λόγοι θεοῦ πεπυρωμένοι ὑπερασπίζει δὲ αὐτὸς τῶν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτόν

“Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.

6 μὴ προσθῇς τοῖς λόγοις αὐτοῦ ἵνα μὴ ἐλέγξῃ σε καὶ ψευδὴς γένῃ

Don’t you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.

7 δύο αἰτοῦμαι παρὰ σοῦ μὴ ἀφέλῃς μου χάριν πρὸ τοῦ ἀποθανεῖν με

“Two things I have asked of you. Don’t deny me before I die.

8 μάταιον λόγον καὶ ψευδῆ μακράν μου ποίησον πλοῦτον δὲ καὶ πενίαν μή μοι δῷς σύνταξον δέ μοι τὰ δέοντα καὶ τὰ αὐτάρκη

Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,

9 ἵνα μὴ πλησθεὶς ψευδὴς γένωμαι καὶ εἴπω τίς με ὁρᾷ ἢ πενηθεὶς κλέψω καὶ ὀμόσω τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ

lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is Yahweh?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.

10 μὴ παραδῷς οἰκέτην εἰς χεῖρας δεσπότου μήποτε καταράσηταί σε καὶ ἀφανισθῇς

“Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

11 ἔκγονον κακὸν πατέρα καταρᾶται τὴν δὲ μητέρα οὐκ εὐλογεῖ

There is a generation that curses their father, and doesn’t bless their mother.

12 ἔκγονον κακὸν δίκαιον ἑαυτὸν κρίνει τὴν δὲ ἔξοδον αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀπένιψεν

There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.

13 ἔκγονον κακὸν ὑψηλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει τοῖς δὲ βλεφάροις αὐτοῦ ἐπαίρεται

There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids 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, and their jaws like knives, to devour the poor from the earth, and the needy 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 leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that don’t say, ‘Enough!’:

16 ᾅδης καὶ ἔρως γυναικὸς καὶ τάρταρος καὶ γῆ οὐκ ἐμπιπλαμένη ὕδατος καὶ ὕδωρ καὶ πῦρ οὐ μὴ εἴπωσιν ἀρκεῖ (Sheol h7585)

Sheol, the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that doesn’t say, ‘Enough!’ (Sheol h7585)

17 ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρός ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν

“The eye that mocks at his father, and scorns obedience to his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, the young eagles shall eat it.

18 τρία δέ ἐστιν ἀδύνατά μοι νοῆσαι καὶ τὸ τέταρτον οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκω

“There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I don’t understand:

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 serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the middle of the sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

20 τοιαύτη ὁδὸς γυναικὸς μοιχαλίδος ἥ ὅταν πράξῃ ἀπονιψαμένη οὐδέν φησιν πεπραχέναι ἄτοπον

“So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21 διὰ τριῶν σείεται ἡ γῆ τὸ δὲ τέταρτον οὐ δύναται φέρειν

“For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it can’t bear up:

22 ἐὰν οἰκέτης βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἄφρων πλησθῇ σιτίων

For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,

23 καὶ οἰκέτις ἐὰν ἐκβάλῃ τὴν ἑαυτῆς κυρίαν καὶ μισητὴ γυνὴ ἐὰν τύχῃ ἀνδρὸς ἀγαθοῦ

for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.

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 exceedingly wise:

25 οἱ μύρμηκες οἷς μὴ ἔστιν ἰσχὺς καὶ ἑτοιμάζονται θέρους τὴν τροφήν

The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.

26 καὶ οἱ χοιρογρύλλιοι ἔθνος οὐκ ἰσχυρόν οἳ ἐποιήσαντο ἐν πέτραις τοὺς ἑαυτῶν οἴκους

The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.

27 ἀβασίλευτόν ἐστιν ἡ ἀκρὶς καὶ ἐκστρατεύει ἀφ’ ἑνὸς κελεύσματος εὐτάκτως

The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.

28 καὶ καλαβώτης χερσὶν ἐρειδόμενος καὶ εὐάλωτος ὢν κατοικεῖ ἐν ὀχυρώμασιν βασιλέως

You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.

29 τρία δέ ἐστιν ἃ εὐόδως πορεύεται καὶ τὸ τέταρτον ὃ καλῶς διαβαίνει

“There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:

30 σκύμνος λέοντος ἰσχυρότερος κτηνῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται οὐδὲ καταπτήσσει κτῆνος

The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and doesn’t turn away for any;

31 καὶ ἀλέκτωρ ἐμπεριπατῶν θηλείαις εὔψυχος καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου καὶ βασιλεὺς δημηγορῶν ἐν ἔθνει

the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.

32 ἐὰν πρόῃ σεαυτὸν εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ ἐκτείνῃς τὴν χεῖρά σου μετὰ μάχης ἀτιμασθήσῃ

“If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, 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

For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”