²¹There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure:
²²a slave who becomes a king,an overbearing fool who prospers,
²³a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
²⁴There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
²⁵Ants—they aren’t strong,but they store up food all summer.
²⁶Hyraxes#30:26 Or Coneys, or Rock badgers.—they aren’t powerful,but they make their homes among the rocks.
²⁷Locusts—they have no king,but they march in formation.
²⁸Lizards—they are easy to catch,but they are found even in kings’ palaces.
²⁹There are three things that walk with stately stride—no, four that strut about:
³⁰the lion, king of animals, who won’t turn aside for anything,
³¹the strutting rooster,the male goat,a king as he leads his army.
³²If you have been a fool by being proud or plotting evil,cover your mouth in shame.
³³As the beating of cream yields butterand striking the nose causes bleeding,so stirring up anger causes quarrels.