Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.

The XXX. Chapter. The wordes of Agur the sonne of Iake.

THe prophecie of a true faithfull man, [ A] whō God hath helped, whom God hath cōforted & norished. For though I am y^e leest of all, & haue no mās vnderstō¦dīge (for I neuer lerned wiszdome) yet haue I vnderstōdinge & am wel enfourmed in godly thinges. Who hath clymmed vp ī to hea∣uen? Who hath come downe from thence?

Who hath holden y^e wynde fast in his hā∣de? Who hath cōprehended y^e waters in a garment? Who hath set all the endes of y^e worlde? What is his name, or his sonnes name? Canst thou tell?* 1.1 All the wordes of God are pure & cleane, for he is a shylde vn¦to all them, that put their trust in him.* 1.2 Put thou nothinge therfore vnto his wordes, lest he reproue the, and thou be founde as a lyar.

Two thinges I requyre of the, that thou wilt not denye me before I dye. Remoue fro me vanite and lyes: geue me nether pouer¦te ner riches, only graunte me a necessary ly∣uynge. Lest yf I be to full, I denye y^e, & saye:* 1.3 what felowe is y^e LORDE? And lest I beinge constrayned thorow pouerte, fall vnto stea∣linge, and forsweare the name of my God.

Accuse not a seruaunt vnto his master, [ B] lest he speake euell of the also, and thou be hurte. He that bryngeth vp an euell repor¦te vpō the generacion of his father and mo∣ther, is not worthy to be commended.

The generacion that thynke them selues cleane, shal not be clensed from their fylthy∣nesse. There are people y^t haue a proude lo¦ke, and cast vp their eye lyddes. This peo¦ples tethe are swerdes, and with their chaft bones they consume and deuoure the symple of the earth, and the poore from amonge mē.

This generacion (which is like an hors∣leche) hath two doughters: y^e one is called, fetch hither: the other, brynge hither.

There be thre thinges that are neuer sa∣tisfied, and the fourth saieth neuer hoo. The hell, a womans wombe,* 1.4 and the earth hath neuer water ynough. As for fyre, it sayeth neuer: hoo. Who so laugheth his father to scorne,* 1.5 and setteth his mothers commaū∣dement at naught: the rauens pycke out his eyes in the valley, and deuoured be he of the yongle Aegles.

There be thre thinges to hye for me,* 1.6 and as for the fourth, it passeth my knowlege.

The waye of an Aegle in y^e ayre, y^e waye of a serpent ouer y^e stone, y^e waye of a shippe in y^e see, & y^e waye of a mā w^t a yonge womā. Soch is the waye also of a wyfe y^t breaketh wedlocke, which wypeth hir mouth like as whā she hath eatē, & sayeth: As for me, I ha¦ue [ C] done no harme. Thorow thre thinges the earth is disquieted, & the fourth maye it not beare: Thorow a seruaūt y^t beareth rule, tho∣row a foole y^t hath greate riches, thorow an ydle houswife, & thorow an handmayden y^t is heyre to hir mastres. There be foure thin¦ges in the earth, the which are very litle: but in wyszdome they exceade the wyse. The Emmettes are but a weake people,* 1.7 yet ga∣ther they their meate together in y^e haruest.

The conyes are but a feble folke, yet make they their couches amonge the rockes. The greshoppers haue not a gyde, yet go they forth together by heapes. The spyder la∣boureth w^t hir hādes, & y^t in y^e kynges palace.

There be thre thinges y^t go stiftly, but the goinge of the fourth is the goodliest of all. A Lyon which is kynge of beastes, & geueth place to no man: A cock ready to fight: A rā¦me: And a kynge y^t goeth forth w^t his people.

Yf thou be so foolish to magnifie y^e self, or medlest w^t eny soch thinge, thē laye thine hā∣de vpon y^e mouth. Who so chyrneth mylck, maketh butter: he that rubbeth his nose, ma¦keth it blede, and he that causeth wrath, bryn¦geth forth strife.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal 17. c 1••. b. 118. ••
• * 1.2

  〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.3

  Deut. 8. c and 31. e Exo. 5. a Iob 21· b Ecclī. 27. ••
• * 1.4

  Pro· 27. c
• * 1.5

  Exo. 21. b Deu▪ 27.
• * 1.6

  Sap. 5. b
• * 1.7

  ••ro. 6. a