Proverbs 30

¹The words of the Gatherer, the son of the Vomiter. The vision that the man spoke. God is with him, and he, being strengthened by God and abiding with him, said:

²“I am the most foolish among men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

³I have not learned wisdom, and I have not known the knowledge of sanctity.

⁴Who has ascended to heaven and also descended? Who has grasped the wind in his hands? Who has tied the waters together, as with a garment? Who has raised all the limits of the earth? What is his name, and what is the name of his son, if you know?

⁵Every word of God is fire-tested. He is a bronze shield to those who hope in him.

⁶Do not add anything to his words, lest you be reproved and be discovered to be a liar.

⁷Two things I have asked of you; do not deny them to me before I die.

⁸Remove, far from me, vanity and lying words. Give me neither begging, nor wealth. Apportion to me only the necessities of my life,

⁹lest perhaps, being filled, I might be enticed into denial, and say: ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or, being compelled by destitution, I might steal, and then perjure myself in the name of my God.

¹⁰Do not accuse a servant to his lord, lest he curse you, and you fall.

¹¹There is a generation which curses their father, and which does not bless their mother.

¹²There is a generation which seems pure to themselves, and yet they are not even washed from their filthiness.

¹³There is a generation, whose eyes have been elevated, and their eyelids are lifted on high.

¹⁴There is a generation which has swords in place of teeth, and which commands their molars to devour the indigent from the earth and the poor from among men.

¹⁵The leech has two daughters, who say, ‘Bring, bring.’ Three things are insatiable, and a fourth never says ‘Enough’:

¹⁶Hell, and the mouth of the womb, and a land that is not filled with water. And truly, fire never says, ‘Enough.’

¹⁷The eye of one who mocks his father and who despises the childbearing of his mother, let the ravens of the torrent tear it out, and let the sons of the eagles consume it.

¹⁸Three things are difficult for me, and about a fourth, I am nearly ignorant:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the sky, 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 in adolescence.

²⁰Such is the way also of an adulterous woman, who eats, and wiping her mouth, says: “I have done no evil.”

²¹By three things, the earth is moved, and a fourth it is not able to sustain:

²²by a slave when he reigns, by the foolish when he has been filled with food,

²³by a hateful woman when she has been taken in matrimony, and by a handmaid when she has been heir to her mistress.

²⁴Four things are least upon the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:

²⁵the ants, an infirm people who provide food for themselves at the harvest,

²⁶the rabbit, a sickened people who make their bed upon the rock.

²⁷The locust has no king, but they all depart by their troops.

²⁸The lizard supports itself on hands and dwells in the buildings of kings.

²⁹There are three things that advance well, and a fourth that marches happily on:

³⁰a lion, the strongest of beasts, who fears nothing that he meets,

³¹a rooster prepared at the loins, likewise a ram, and a king, whom none can resist.

³²There is one who has appeared foolish, after he was lifted up on high; for if he had understood, he would have placed his hand over his mouth.

³³But whoever strongly squeezes the udder to bring out the milk, presses out butter. And whoever violently blows his nose, brings out blood. And whoever provokes wrath, brings forth discord.”

Proverbs 30

¹The 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:

²I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.

³I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.

⁴Who 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?

⁵Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.

⁶Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved and found a liar:

⁷Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.

⁸Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:

⁹Lest 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.

¹⁰Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.

¹¹There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

¹²A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.

¹³A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.

¹⁴A 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.

¹⁵The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough.

¹⁶Hell and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.

¹⁷The 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.

¹⁸Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.

¹⁹There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:

²⁰Such also is the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.

²¹By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear.

²²By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when be is filled with meat:

²³By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.

²⁴There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise.

²⁵The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:

²⁶The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:

²⁷The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands:

²⁸The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses.

²⁹

³⁰A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:

³¹A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.

³²There 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.

³³And he that strongly squeezeth the paps 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.