Proverbs 30
1 The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, the revelation: the man says to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
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,
2 “Surely I am the most ignorant man, and do not have a man’s understanding.
and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 I have not learned wisdom, neither do I have the knowledge of the Holy One.
Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
4 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?
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?
5 “Every word of God is flawless. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
6 Do not you add to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be found a liar.
Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
7 “Two things I have asked of you. Do not deny me before I die.
I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
8 Remove far from me falsehood and lies. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Feed me with the food that is needful for me,
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;
9 lest I be full, deny you, and say, ‘Who is the LORD?’ or lest I be poor, and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
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.
10 “Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.
Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
11 There is a generation that curses their father, and does not bless their mother.
A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes, yet are not washed from their filthiness.
A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
13 There is a generation, oh how lofty are their eyes! Their eyelids are lifted up.
A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
14 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.
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.
15 “The leech has two daughters: ‘Give, give.’ “There are three things that are never satisfied; four that do not say, ‘Enough!’:
The watir leche hath twei douytris, seiynge, Brynge, bringe. Thre thingis ben vnable to be fillid, and the fourthe, that seith neuere, It suffisith;
16 Sheol (Sheol h7585), the barren womb, the earth that is not satisfied with water, and the fire that does not say, 'Enough!'
helle, and the mouth of the wombe, and the erthe which is neuere fillid with water; but fier seith neuere, It suffisith. (Sheol h7585)
17 “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.
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.
18 “There are three things which are too amazing for me, four which I do not understand:
Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
19 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.
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.
20 “So is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’
Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.
21 “For three things the earth trembles, and under four, it cannot bear up:
The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
22 For a servant when he is king, a fool when he is filled with food,
bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
23 for an unloved woman when she is married, and a servant who is heir to her mistress.
bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
24 “There are four things which are little on the earth, but they are exceedingly wise:
Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
25 The ants are not a strong people, yet they provide their food in the summer.
amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
26 The hyraxes are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks.
a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
27 The locusts have no king, yet they advance in ranks.
a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
28 You can catch a lizard with your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
29 “There are three things which are stately in their march, four which are stately in going:
Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
30 The lion, which is mightiest among animals, and does not turn away for any;
A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
31 the greyhound; the male goat; and the king against whom there is no rising up.
a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
32 “If you have done foolishly in lifting up yourself, or if you have thought evil, put your hand over your mouth.
He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.
33 For as the churning of milk produces butter, and the wringing of the nose produces blood, so the forcing of wrath produces strife.”
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.
