16. the grave,a barren womb,a land that never gets enough water,a fire that does not say, “Enough!”
17. The eye that makes fun of a father and hates to obey a motherwill be plucked out by ravens in the valley and eaten by young vultures.
18. Three things are too amazing to me,even four that I cannot understand:
19. an eagle making its way through the sky,a snake making its way over a rock,a ship making its way through high seas,a man making his way with a virgin.
20. This is the way of a woman who commits adultery:She eats, wipes her mouth,and says, “I haven’t done anything wrong!”
21. Three things cause the earth to tremble,even four it cannot bear up under:
22. a slave when he becomes king,a godless fool when he is filled with food,
23. a woman who is unloved when she gets married,a maid when she replaces her mistress.
24. Four things on earth are small,yet they are very wise:
25. Ants are not a strong species,yet they store their food in summer.
26. Rock badgers are not a mighty species,yet they make their home in the rocks.
27. Locusts have no king,yet all of them divide into swarms by instinct.
28. A lizard you can hold in your hands,yet it can even be found in royal palaces.
29. There are three things that walk with dignity,even four that march with dignity:
30. a lion, mightiest among animals, which turns away from nothing,
31. a strutting rooster,a male goat,a king at the head of his army.