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 he 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.

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.

1Verba Congregantis, filii Vomentis. Visio quam locutus est vir cum quo est Deus, et qui Deo secum morante confortatus, ait:

2Stultissimus sum virorum, et sapientia hominum non est mecum.

3Non didici sapientiam, et non novi scientiam sanctorum.

4Quis ascendit in cælum, atque descendit? quis continuit spiritum in manibus suis? quis colligavit aquas quasi in vestimento? quis suscitavit omnes terminos terræ? quod nomen est ejus, et quod nomen filii ejus, si nosti?

5Omnis sermo Dei ignitus : clypeus est sperantibus in se.

6Ne addas quidquam verbis illius, et arguaris, inveniarisque mendax.

7Duo rogavi te : ne deneges mihi antequam moriar :

8vanitatem et verba mendacia longe fac a me; mendicitatem et divitias ne dederis mihi : tribue tantum victui meo necessaria,

9ne forte satiatus illiciar ad negandum, et dicam : Quis est Dominus? aut egestate compulsus, furer, et perjurem nomen Dei mei.

10Ne accuses servum ad dominum suum, ne forte maledicat tibi, et corruas.

11Generatio quæ patri suo maledicit, et quæ matri suæ non benedicit;

12generatio quæ sibi munda videtur, et tamen non est lota a sordibus suis;

13generatio cujus excelsi sunt oculi, et palpebræ ejus in alta surrectæ;

14generatio quæ pro dentibus gladios habet, et commandit molaribus suis, ut comedat inopes de terra, et pauperes ex hominibus.

15Sanguisugæ duæ sunt filiæ, dicentes : Affer, affer. Tria sunt insaturabilia, et quartum quod numquam dicit : Sufficit.

16Infernus, et os vulvæ, et terra quæ non satiatur aqua : ignis vero numquam dicit : Sufficit.

17Oculum qui subsannat patrem, et qui despicit partum matris suæ, effodiant eum corvi de torrentibus, et comedant eum filii aquilæ!

18Tria sunt difficilia mihi, et quartum penitus ignoro :

19viam aquilæ in cælo, viam colubri super petram, viam navis in medio mari, et viam viri in adolescentia.

20Talis est et via mulieris adulteræ, quæ comedit, et tergens os suum dicit : Non sum operata malum.

21Per tria movetur terra, et quartum non potest sustinere :

22per servum, cum regnaverit; per stultum, cum saturatus fuerit cibo;

23per odiosam mulierem, cum in matrimonio fuerit assumpta; et per ancillam, cum fuerit hæres dominæ suæ.

24Quatuor sunt minima terræ, et ipsa sunt sapientiora sapientibus :

25formicæ, populus infirmus, qui præparat in messe cibum sibi;

26lepusculus, plebs invalida, qui collocat in petra cubile suum;

27regem locusta non habet, et egreditur universa per turmas suas;

28stellio manibus nititur, et moratur in ædibus regis.

29Tria sunt quæ bene gradiuntur, et quartum quod incedit feliciter :

30leo, fortissimus bestiarum, ad nullius pavebit occursum;

31gallus succinctus lumbos; et aries; nec est rex, qui resistat ei.

32Est qui stultus apparuit postquam elevatus est in sublime; si enim intellexisset, ori suo imposuisset manum.

33Qui autem fortiter premit ubera ad eliciendum lac exprimit butyrum; et qui vehementer emungit elicit sanguinem; et qui provocat iras producit discordias.

1τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους υἱέ φοβήθητι καὶ δεξάμενος αὐτοὺς μετανόει τάδε λέγει ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν θεῷ καὶ παύομαι

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

3θεὸς δεδίδαχέν με σοφίαν καὶ γνῶσιν ἁγίων ἔγνωκα

4τίς 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

5πάντες λόγοι θεοῦ πεπυρωμένοι ὑπερασπίζει δὲ αὐτὸς τῶν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτόν

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

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

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

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

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

11ἔκγονον κακὸν πατέρα καταρᾶται τὴν δὲ μητέρα οὐκ εὐλογεῖ

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

13ἔκγονον κακὸν ὑψηλοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει τοῖς δὲ βλεφάροις αὐτοῦ ἐπαίρεται

14ἔκγονον κακὸν μαχαίρας τοὺς ὀδόντας ἔχει καὶ τὰς μύλας τομίδας ὥστε ἀναλίσκειν καὶ κατεσθίειν τοὺς ταπεινοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ τοὺς πένητας αὐτῶν ἐξ ἀνθρώπων

15τῇ βδέλλῃ τρεῖς θυγατέρες ἦσαν ἀγαπήσει ἀγαπώμεναι καὶ αἱ τρεῖς αὗται οὐκ ἐνεπίμπλασαν αὐτήν καὶ ἡ τετάρτη οὐκ ἠρκέσθη εἰπεῖν ἱκανόν

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

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

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

19ἴχνη ἀετοῦ πετομένου καὶ ὁδοὺς ὄφεως ἐπὶ πέτρας καὶ τρίβους νηὸς ποντοπορούσης καὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνδρὸς ἐν νεότητι

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

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

22ἐὰν οἰκέτης βασιλεύσῃ καὶ ἄφρων πλησθῇ σιτίων

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

24τέσσαρα δέ ἐστιν ἐλάχιστα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ταῦτα δέ ἐστιν σοφώτερα τῶν σοφῶν

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

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

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

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

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

30σκύμνος λέοντος ἰσχυρότερος κτηνῶν ὃς οὐκ ἀποστρέφεται οὐδὲ καταπτήσσει κτῆνος

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

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

33ἄμελγε γάλα καὶ ἔσται βούτυρον ἐὰν δὲ ἐκπιέζῃς μυκτῆρας ἐξελεύσεται αἷμα ἐὰν δὲ ἐξέλκῃς λόγους ἐξελεύσονται κρίσεις καὶ μάχαι