Proverbs 30:21-31:5

English Standard Version

²¹ Under ^(A)three things ^(B)the earth trembles;
    under ^(C)four it cannot bear up:
^22 (D)a slave when he becomes king,
    and a fool when he is ^(E)filled with food;
^23 (F)an unloved woman when she ^(G)gets a husband,
    and a maidservant when she displaces her mistress.

^24 (H)Four things on earth are small,
    but they are exceedingly wise:
^25 (I)the ants are a people not strong,
    yet they provide their food in the summer;
^26 (J)the rock badgers are a people not mighty,
    yet they make their homes in the cliffs;
²⁷ the locusts have no ^(K)king,
    yet all of them march in ^(L)rank;
²⁸ the lizard you can take in your hands,
    yet it is in kings' palaces.

^29 (M)Three things are stately in their tread;
    ^(N)four are stately in their stride:
³⁰ the lion, which is mightiest among beasts
    and ^(O)does not turn back before any;
³¹ the ^(P)strutting rooster,^[a] the he-goat,
    and a king whose army is with him.^[b]

³² If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
    or if you have been devising evil,
    ^(Q)put your hand on your mouth.
³³ For pressing milk produces curds,
    pressing the nose produces blood,
    and pressing anger produces strife.

² What are you doing, my son?^[c] What are you doing, ^(R)son of my womb?
    What are you doing, ^(S)son of my vows?
³ Do ^(T)not give your strength to women,
    your ways to those ^(U)who destroy kings.
^4 (V)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings ^(W)to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take ^(X)strong drink,
⁵ lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and ^(Y)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.