箴言 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.

19The 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.

20Such is also 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.

29There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:

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 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.

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

2[Stultissimus 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.]

11[Generatio 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 !]

18[Tria 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.]

24[Quatuor 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.]

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.”