Verse 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:
Verse 2. I am the most foolish of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me.
Verse 3. I have not learned wisdom, and have not known the science of saints.
Verse 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?
Verse 5. Every word of God is fire tried: he is a buckler to them that hope in him.
Verse 6. Add not any thing to his words, lest thou be reproved, and found a liar:
Verse 7. Two things I have asked of thee, deny them not to me before I die.
Verse 8. Remove far from me vanity, and lying words. Give me neither beggary, nor riches: give me only the necessaries of life:
Verse 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.
Verse 10. Accuse not a servant to his master, lest he curse thee, and thou fall.
Verse 11. There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.
Verse 12. A generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet are not washed from their filthiness.
Verse 13. A generation, whose eyes are lofty, and their eyelids lifted up on high.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.
Verse 18. Three things are hard to me, and the fourth I am utterly ignorant of.
Verse 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.
Verse 20. Such is also the way of an adulterous woman, who eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith: I have done no evil.
Verse 21. By three things the earth is disturbed, and the fourth it cannot bear:
Verse 22. By a slave when he reigneth: by a fool when he is filled with meat:
Verse 23. By an odious woman when she is married: and by a bondwoman when she is heir to her mistress.
Verse 24. There are four very little things of the earth, and they are wiser than the wise:
Verse 25. The ants, a feeble people, which provide themselves food in the harvest:
Verse 26. The rabbit, a weak people, which maketh its bed in the rock:
Verse 27. The locust hath no king, yet they all go out by their bands.
Verse 28. The stellio supporteth itself on hands, and dwelleth in kings' houses.
Verse 29. There are three things, which go well, and the fourth that walketh happily:
Verse 30. A lion, the strongest of beasts, who hath no fear of any thing he meeteth:
Verse 31. A cock girded about the loins: and a ram: and a king, whom none can resist.
Verse 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.
Verse 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.