Proverbs Chapter 30

English (Douay-Rheims)

1 The 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: Gatherer, etc... Or, as it is in the Latin, Congregans the son of Vomens. The Latin interpreter has given us in this place the signification of the Hebrew names, instead of the names themselves, which are in the Hebrew, Agur the son of Jakeh. But whether this Agur be the same person as Solomon, as many think, or a different person, whose doctrine was adopted by Solomon, and inserted among his parables or proverbs, is uncertain.

2 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
4 Who 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?
5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him. Is fire tried... That is, most pure, like gold purified by fire.
6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved and found a liar:
7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
9 Lest 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.
10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.

11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
14 A 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.
15 The horseleech hath two daughters that say: Bring, bring. There are three things that never are satisfied, and the fourth never saith: It is enough. The horseleech... Concupiscence, which hath two daughters that are never satisfied, viz., lust and avarice.
16 Hell and the mouth of the womb, and the earth which is not satisfied with water: and the fire never saith: It is enough.
17 The 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.

18 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
19 The 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.
20 Such also is the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear.
22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.

24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise.
25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands:
28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses. The stellio... A kind of house lizard marked with spots like stars, from whence it has its name.
19 There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
30 A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
31 A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
32 There 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.
33 And 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.

Old Testament first published 1609 by the English College at Douay
New Testament first published 1582 by the English College at Rheims
Revised and Annotated 1749 by Bishop Richard Challoner
Imprimatur. +James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 1, 1899

Latin (Clementine Vulgate)

1 Verba 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.
3 Non didici sapientiam,
et non novi scientiam sanctorum.
4 Quis 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?
5 Omnis sermo Dei ignitus:
clypeus est sperantibus in se.
6 Ne addas quidquam verbis illius,
et arguaris, inveniarisque mendax.
7 Duo rogavi te:
ne deneges mihi antequam moriar:
8 vanitatem et verba mendacia longe fac a me;
mendicitatem et divitias ne dederis mihi:
tribue tantum victui meo necessaria,
9 ne forte satiatus illiciar ad negandum,
et dicam: Quis est Dominus?
aut egestate compulsus, furer,
et perjurem nomen Dei mei.
10 Ne accuses servum ad dominum suum,
ne forte maledicat tibi, et corruas.

11 Generatio quæ patri suo maledicit,
et quæ matri suæ non benedicit;
12 generatio quæ sibi munda videtur,
et tamen non est lota a sordibus suis;
13 generatio cujus excelsi sunt oculi,
et palpebræ ejus in alta surrectæ;
14 generatio quæ pro dentibus gladios habet,
et commandit molaribus suis,
ut comedat inopes de terra,
et pauperes ex hominibus.
15 Sanguisugæ duæ sunt filiæ,
dicentes: Affer, affer.
Tria sunt insaturabilia,
et quartum quod numquam dicit: Sufficit.
16 Infernus, et os vulvæ,
et terra quæ non satiatur aqua:
ignis vero numquam dicit: Sufficit.
17 Oculum 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:
19 viam aquilæ in cælo,
viam colubri super petram,
viam navis in medio mari,
et viam viri in adolescentia.
20 Talis est et via mulieris adulteræ,
quæ comedit, et tergens os suum
dicit: Non sum operata malum.
21 Per tria movetur terra,
et quartum non potest sustinere:
22 per servum, cum regnaverit;
per stultum, cum saturatus fuerit cibo;
23 per 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:
25 formicæ, populus infirmus,
qui præparat in messe cibum sibi;
26 lepusculus, plebs invalida,
qui collocat in petra cubile suum;
27 regem locusta non habet,
et egreditur universa per turmas suas;
28 stellio manibus nititur,
et moratur in ædibus regis.
29 Tria sunt quæ bene gradiuntur,
et quartum quod incedit feliciter:
30 leo, fortissimus bestiarum,
ad nullius pavebit occursum;
31 gallus succinctus lumbos;
et aries; nec est rex, qui resistat ei.
32 Est qui stultus apparuit postquam elevatus est in sublime;
si enim intellexisset, ori suo imposuisset manum.
33 Qui autem fortiter premit ubera ad eliciendum lac exprimit butyrum;
et qui vehementer emungit elicit sanguinem;
et qui provocat iras producit discordias.

Transcribed as part of the Clementine Vulgate Project
Please notify the original transcriber (little.mouth@soon.com) of any errors in this Latin edition

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