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,
The words of Agur, son of Jakeh, [even] the oracle, —The utterance of the man, for Ithiel, for Ithiel and Ucal.
2 and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Surely, more brutish, am, I, than any man, nor doth, the understanding of a son of earth, pertain to me;
3 Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.
Neither have I learned wisdom, nor, the knowledge of the Holy Ones, can I acquire.
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 hath ascended the heavens and then descended? Who hath gathered the wind into his two hands? Who hath wrapped up the waters in a mantle? Who hath set up all the ends of the earth? What is his name and what the name of his son, when thou knowest?
5 Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.
Every saying of God is refined, A shield, is, he, to them who seek refuge in him.
6 Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.
Do not add unto his words, lest he convict thee, and thou be found false.
7 I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.
Two things, have I asked of thee, withhold them not from me, ere yet 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;
Vanity and falsehood, remove far from me, Neither poverty nor riches, give me, Feed me with the food appointed me:
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 full, and deny, and say—Who is Yahweh? or lest I be impoverished and steal, and do violence to the Name of my God.
10 Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.
Do not slander a servant to his master, lest he revile thee, and thou be found guilty.
11 A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.
A generation! Its father, it revileth, and, its mother, it doth not bless.
12 A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.
A generation! Pure in its own eyes, yet, from its filth, hath it not been bathed,
13 A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.
A generation! How lofty are its eyes, and its eyelashes uplifted.
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 generation! Swords, are its teeth, and, knives, its incisors, —to devour the humbled out of the earth, and the needy, 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 vampire, hath two daughters, Give! Give! Three, there are will not be satisfied, four, have not said, 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)
Hades, and barrenness, —A land not satisfied with water, and fire, that saith not, 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 mocketh a father, and despiseth to obey a mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young of the eagle shall eat it.
18 Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;
Three, things there are, too difficult for me, yea, four, which I do not understand:
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 way of an eagle in the heavens, the way of a serpent on the rock, —the way of a ship in the heart of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.
20 Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.
So, is the way of a woman committing adultery, —she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no iniquity!
21 The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;
Under three things, a land is stirred, yea, under four, she cannot bear up:
22 bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;
Under a servant, when he reigneth, and a base man, when he is surfeited with food;
23 bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.
Under a hateful woman, when she is married, and a handmaid when she driveth out her mistress.
24 Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;
Four, things there are, the small of the earth, —yet, they, are wiser than the wise:
25 amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;
The ants, a people, not strong, —yet prepare they, in summer, their food;
26 a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;
The conies, a people of, no power, yet set they, among the crags, their house;
27 a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,
King, is there none, to, the locusts, —yet go forth in swarms, do they all;
28 and dwellith in the housis of kingis.
The lizard, with hands, reneweth its hold, —yet, the same, is in the palaces of the king.
29 Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.
Three, things there are which step along well, ye, four, which excel in going:
30 A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;
The lion, hero among beasts, which turneth aside from the face of no one;
31 a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.
The greyhound, or the he-goat, —and a king, having a band of soldiers with him.
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 hast acted basely by lifting thyself up, —if thou hast plotted evil, [put thy] hand to [thy] mouth!
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.
Surely, the pressing of milk, bringeth forth curd, and, the pressing of the nose, bringeth forth blood, and, the pressing of wrath, bringeth forth strife.
