1 φευγει ασεβης μηδενος διωκοντος δικαιος δε ωσπερ λεων πεποιθεν | 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: |
2 δι' αμαρτιας ασεβων κρισεις εγειρονται ανηρ δε πανουργος κατασβεσει αυτας | 2 I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. |
3 ανδρειος εν ασεβειαις συκοφαντει πτωχους ωσπερ υετος λαβρος και ανωφελης | 3 I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints. |
4 ουτως οι εγκαταλειποντες τον νομον εγκωμιαζουσιν ασεβειαν οι δε αγαπωντες τον νομον περιβαλλουσιν εαυτοις τειχος | 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 ανδρες κακοι ου νοησουσιν κριμα οι δε ζητουντες τον κυριον συνησουσιν εν παντι | 5 Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him. |
6 κρεισσων πτωχος πορευομενος εν αληθεια πλουσιου ψευδους | 6 Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar: |
7 φυλασσει νομον υιος συνετος ος δε ποιμαινει ασωτιαν ατιμαζει πατερα | 7 Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die. |
8 ο πληθυνων τον πλουτον αυτου μετα τοκων και πλεονασμων τω ελεωντι πτωχους συναγει αυτον | 8 Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life: |
9 ο εκκλινων το ους αυτου του μη εισακουσαι νομου και αυτος την προσευχην αυτου εβδελυκται | 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 ος πλανα ευθεις εν οδω κακη εις διαφθοραν αυτος εμπεσειται οι δε ανομοι διελευσονται αγαθα και ουκ εισελευσονται εις αυτα | 10 Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall. |
11 σοφος παρ' εαυτω ανηρ πλουσιος πενης δε νοημων καταγνωσεται αυτου | 11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother. |
12 δια βοηθειαν δικαιων πολλη γινεται δοξα εν δε τοποις ασεβων αλισκονται ανθρωποι | 12 A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness. |
13 ο επικαλυπτων ασεβειαν εαυτου ουκ ευοδωθησεται ο δε εξηγουμενος ελεγχους αγαπηθησεται | 13 A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high. |
14 μακαριος ανηρ ος καταπτησσει παντα δι' ευλαβειαν ο δε σκληρος την καρδιαν εμπεσειται κακοις | 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 λεων πεινων και λυκος διψων ος τυραννει πτωχος ων εθνους πενιχρου | 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. |
16 βασιλευς ενδεης προσοδων μεγας συκοφαντης ο δε μισων αδικιαν μακρον χρονον ζησεται | 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 ανδρα τον εν αιτια φονου ο εγγυωμενος φυγας εσται και ουκ εν ασφαλεια [17α] παιδευε υιον και αγαπησει σε και δωσει κοσμον τη ση ψυχη ου μη υπακουσης εθνει παρανομω | 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 ο πορευομενος δικαιως βεβοηθηται ο δε σκολιαις οδοις πορευομενος εμπλακησεται | 18 Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of. |
19 ο εργαζομενος την εαυτου γην πλησθησεται αρτων ο δε διωκων σχολην πλησθησεται πενιας | 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 ανηρ αξιοπιστος πολλα ευλογηθησεται ο δε κακος ουκ ατιμωρητος εσται | 20 Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil. |
21 ος ουκ αισχυνεται προσωπα δικαιων ουκ αγαθος ο τοιουτος ψωμου αρτου αποδωσεται ανδρα | 21 By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear: |
22 σπευδει πλουτειν ανηρ βασκανος και ουκ οιδεν οτι ελεημων κρατησει αυτου | 22 By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat: |
23 ο ελεγχων ανθρωπου οδους χαριτας εξει μαλλον του γλωσσοχαριτουντος | 23 By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress. |
24 ος αποβαλλεται πατερα η μητερα και δοκει μη αμαρτανειν ουτος κοινωνος εστιν ανδρος ασεβους | 24 There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise: |
25 απληστος ανηρ κρινει εικη ος δε πεποιθεν επι κυριον εν επιμελεια εσται | 25 The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest: |
26 ος πεποιθεν θρασεια καρδια ο τοιουτος αφρων ος δε πορευεται σοφια σωθησεται | 26 The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock: |
27 ος διδωσιν πτωχοις ουκ ενδεηθησεται ος δε αποστρεφει τον οφθαλμον αυτου εν πολλη απορια εσται | 27 The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands. |
28 εν τοποις ασεβων στενουσι δικαιοι εν δε τη εκεινων απωλεια πληθυνθησονται δικαιοι | 28 The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses. |
| 29 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 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. |