Proverbs 30
1 The words of Gatherer the son of Vomiter. The vision which the man spoke with whom God is, and who being strengthened by God, abiding with him, said:
These things says the man to them that trust in God; and I cease.
2 I am the most foolish 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 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
God has taught me wisdom, and I know the knowledge of the holy.
4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, and descended? who hath held the wind in his hands? who hath bound up the waters together as in a garment? who hath raised up all the borders of the earth? what is his name, and what is the name of his son, if thou knowest?
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 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
For all the words of God are tried in the fire, and he defends those that reverence him.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Add not to his words, lest he reprove you, and you be made a liar.
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
Two things I ask of you; take not favour from me before I die.
8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
Remove far from me vanity and falsehood: and give me not wealth [or] poverty; but appoint me what is needful and sufficient:
9 Lest perhaps being filled, I should be tempted to deny, and say: Who is the Lord? or being compelled by poverty, I should steal, and forswear 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 not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Deliver not a servant into the hands of his master, lest he curse you, and you be utterly destroyed.
11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
A wicked generation curse their father, and do not bless their mother.
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
A wicked generation judge themselves to be just, but do not cleanse their way.
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
A wicked generation have lofty eyes, and exalt themselves with their eyelids.
14 A generation, that for teeth hath swords, and grindeth with their jaw teeth, to devour the needy from off the earth, and the poor from among 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 amongst men.
15 The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.
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 Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough. (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 The eye that mocketh at his father, and that despiseth the labour of his mother in bearing him, let the ravens of the brooks pick it out, and the young eagles eat it.
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 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
Moreover there are three things impossible for me to comprehend, and the fourth I know not:
19 The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man in youth.
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 Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
Such is the way of an adulterous woman, who having washed herself from what she has done, says she has done nothing amiss.
21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
By three thing the earth is troubled, and the fourth it can’t bear:
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
if a servant reign; or a fool be filled with food;
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
or if a maidservant should cast out her own mistress; and if a hateful woman should marry a good man.
24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
And [there are] four very little things upon the earth, but these are wiser than the wise:
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
the ants which are weak, and [yet] prepare [their] food in summer;
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
the rabbits also [are] a feeble race, who make their houses in the rocks.
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
The locusts have no king, and [yet] march orderly at one command.
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings’ houses.
And the eft, which supports itself by [its] hands, and is easily taken, dwells in the fortresses of kings.
29 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
And there are three things which go well, and a fourth which passes along finely.
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
A lion's whelp, stronger than [all other] beasts, which turns not away, nor fears [any] beast;
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
and a cock walking in boldly amongst the hens, and the goat leading the herd; and a king publicly speaking before a nation.
32 There is that hath appeared a fool after he was lifted up on high: for if he had understood, he would have laid his hand upon his mouth.
If you abandon yourself to mirth, and stretch forth your hand in a quarrel, you shall be disgraced.
33 And he that strongly squeezeth the papa to bring out milk, straineth out butter: and he that violently bloweth his nose, bringeth out blood: and he that provoketh wrath bringeth forth strife.
Milk out milk, and there shall be butter, and if you wing [one's] nostrils there shall come out blood: so if you extort words, there will come forth quarrels and strifes.
