Proverbios 30

1Palabras de Agur, hijo de Jaqué, de Masá. Palabras que este varón dijo a Itiel, a Itiel y a Ucal:

2Soy más torpe que hombre alguno, no tengo la inteligencia de otros.

3No he aprendido la sabiduría, y no conozco la ciencia del Santo.

4¿Quién jamás subió al cielo y descendió? ¿Quién encerró los vientos en sus puños? ¿Quién envolvió las aguas en un manto? ¿Quién dio estabilidad a todos los confines de la tierra? ¿Cuál es su nombre, y qué nombre tiene su hijo? ¿Lo sabes acaso?

5Toda palabra de Dios es acrisolada, es escudo de los que buscan en Él su amparo.

6No añadas nada a sus palabras; no sea que Él te reprenda y seas hallado falsario.

7Dos cosas te pido, no me las niegues antes que muera:

8Aparta de mí la vanidad y la mentira, y no me des ni pobreza ni riquezas; dame solamente el pan que necesito,

9no sea que harto yo reniegue (de Ti) y diga: “¿Quién es Yahvé?” o que, empobrecido, me ponga a robar y blasfemar del nombre de mi Dios.

10No difames al siervo ante su señor, no sea que te maldiga, y tú tengas que pagarlo.

11Ralea hay que maldice a su padre, y no bendice a su madre.

12Hay gente que se tiene por limpia, sin lavarse de sus inmundicias.

13Otros hay que miran con ojos altivos, con párpados levantados en alto.

14Y hay también hombres cuyos dientes son espadas, y sus muelas cuchillos, para devorar a los pobres de la tierra y a los desvalidos de entre los hombres.

15La sanguijuela tiene dos hijas: “¡Dame, dame!” Tres cosas hay insaciables, y también una cuarta, que jamás dicen: “¡Basta!”:

16el scheol, el seno estéril, la tierra que nunca se harta de agua, y el fuego que jamás dice: “¡Basta!”

17Ojos que escarnecen al padre, y no miran con respeto a la madre; sáquenlos los cuervos del torrente y los aguiluchos los coman.

18Tres cosas hay demasiado maravillosas para mí, y una cuarta que no entiendo:

19el rastro del águila en el aire, el rastro de la culebra sobre la peña, el rastro de la nave en medio del mar, y el rastro del hombre en la doncella.

20Tal es también el proceder de la mujer adúltera; come, se limpia la boca, y dice: “No he hecho cosa mala.”

21Bajo tres cosas tiembla la tierra, y también bajo una cuarta que no puede soportar:

22bajo un siervo que llega a reinar, bajo un necio que tiene mucha comida,

23bajo una aborrecida que halla marido, y bajo la esclava que hereda a su señora.

24Hay sobre la tierra cuatro animales pequeños que son más sabios que los sabios:

25las hormigas, pueblo sin fuerza, que al tiempo de la mies se prepara su provisión;

26el tejón, animal endeble, que entre las peñas coloca su madriguera;

27las langostas, que sin tener rey salen todas bien ordenadas;

28el lagarto que puedes asir con la mano, y, sin embargo, se aloja en los palacios de los reyes.

29Tres seres hay de paso gallardo, y también un cuarto que anda con gallardía:

30el león, el más valiente de los animales, que no retrocede ante nadie;

31el (gallo) que anda erguido, el macho cabrío, y el rey al frente de su ejército.

32Si te has engreído neciamente, o si pensaste hacer mal; mano a la boca.

33Comprimiendo la leche se hace la manteca; comprimiendo la nariz, sale sangre; y comprimiendo la ira, se producen contiendas.

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 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.