Proverbs 30 (WYC)

1The 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,These are the words of Agur son of Jakeh—the burden that this man declared to Ithiel: “I am weary, O God, and worn out.

2and seide, Y am the moost fool of men; and the wisdom of men is not with me.Surely I am the most ignorant of men, and I lack the understanding of a man.

3Y lernede not wisdom; and Y knew not the kunnyng of hooli men.I have not learned wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One.

4Who 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 has ascended to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in His cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son—surely you know!

5Ech word of God is a scheld set a fiere, to alle that hopen in hym.Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.

6Adde thou not ony thing to the wordis of hym, and thou be repreued, and be foundun a liere.Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you and prove you a liar.

7I preiede thee twei thingis; denye not thou to me, bifor that Y die.Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die:

8Make thou fer fro me vanyte and wordis of leesyng; yyue thou not to me beggery and richessis; yyue thou oneli necessaries to my lijflode;Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion.

9lest 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.Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.

10Accuse thou not a seruaunt to his lord, lest perauenture he curse thee, and thou falle doun.Do not slander a servant to his master, or he will curse you, and you will bear the guilt.

11A generacioun that cursith his fadir, and that blessith not his modir.There is a generation of those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers.

12A generacioun that semeth cleene to it silf, and netheles is not waischun fro hise filthis.There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.

13A generacioun whose iyen ben hiy, and the iye liddis therof ben reisid in to hiy thingis.There is a generation—how haughty are their eyes and pretentious are their glances—

14A generacioun that hath swerdis for teeth, and etith with hise wank teeth; that it ete nedi men of erthe, and the porails of men.there is a generation whose teeth are swords and whose jaws are knives, devouring the oppressed from the earth and the needy from among men.

15The watir leche hath twei douytris, seiynge, Brynge, bringe. Thre thingis ben vnable to be fillid, and the fourthe, that seith neuere, It suffisith;The leech has two daughters: Give and Give. There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’:

16helle, and the mouth of the wombe, and the erthe which is neuere fillid with water; but fier seith neuere, It suffisith.Sheol, the barren womb, land never satisfied with water, and fire that never says, ‘Enough!’

17Crowis 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.As for the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother, may the ravens of the valley pluck it out and young vultures devour it.

18Thre thingis ben hard to me, and outirli Y knowe not the fourthe thing;There are three things too wonderful for me, four that I cannot understand:

19the 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 sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship at sea, and the way of a man with a maiden.

20Siche is the weie of a womman auowtresse, which etith, and wipith hir mouth, and seith, Y wrouyte not yuel.This is the way of an adulteress: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I have done nothing wrong.’

21The erthe is moued bi thre thingis, and the fourthe thing, which it may not susteyne;Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up:

22bi a seruaunt, whanne he regneth; bi a fool, whanne he is fillid with mete;a servant who becomes king, a fool who is filled with food,

23bi an hateful womman, whanne sche is takun in matrymonye; and bi an handmaide, whanne sche is eir of hir ladi.an unloved woman who marries, and a maidservant who supplants her mistress.

24Foure ben the leeste thingis of erthe, and tho ben wisere than wise men;Four things on earth are small, yet they are exceedingly wise:

25amtis, a feble puple, that maken redi mete in heruest to hem silf;The ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer;

26a hare, a puple vnmyyti, that settith his bed in a stoon;the rock badgers are creatures of little power, yet they make their homes in the rocks;

27a locust hath no kyng, and al goith out bi cumpanyes; an euete enforsith with hondis,the locusts have no king, yet they all advance in formation;

28and dwellith in the housis of kingis.and the lizard can be caught in one’s hands, yet it is found in the palaces of kings.

29Thre thingis ben, that goon wel, and the fourthe thing, that goith richeli.There are three things that are stately in their stride, and four that are impressive in their walk:

30A lioun, strongeste of beestis, schal not drede at the meetyng of ony man;a lion, mighty among beasts, refusing to retreat before anything;

31a cok gird the leendis, and a ram, and noon is that schal ayenstonde him.a strutting rooster; a he-goat; and a king with his army around him.

32He that apperith a fool, aftir that he is reisid an hiy; for if he hadde vndurstonde, he hadde sett hond on his mouth.If you have foolishly exalted yourself or if you have plotted evil, put your hand over your mouth.

33Forsothe 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.For as the churning of milk yields butter, and the twisting of the nose draws blood, so the stirring of anger brings forth strife.”

Proverbs 30

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Proverbs 30

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