Proverbs 30:18-33

¶There are three things which are too astounding and unexpectedly wonderful for me, Four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the air, The way of a serpent on a rock, The way of a ship in the middle of the sea, And the way of a man with a maid. This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth And says, “I have done no wrong.” ¶Under three things the earth is disquieted and quakes, And under four it cannot bear up: Under a servant when he reigns, Under a [spiritually blind] fool when he is filled with food, Under an unloved woman when she gets married, And under a maidservant when she supplants her mistress. ¶There are four things that are small on the earth, But they are exceedingly wise: The ants are not a strong people, Yet they prepare their food in the summer; [Prov 6:6] The shephanim are not a mighty folk, Yet they make their houses in the rocks; [Ps 104:18] The locusts have no king, Yet all of them go out in groups; You may grasp the lizard with your hands, Yet it is in kings’ palaces. ¶There are three things which are stately in step, Even four which are stately in their stride: The lion, which is mighty among beasts And does not turn back before any; The strutting rooster, the male goat also, And the king when his army is with him. ¶If you have foolishly exalted yourself, Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth. [Job 21:5; 40:4] Surely the churning of milk produces butter, And wringing the nose produces blood; So the churning of anger produces strife.