15. The leech has two suckersthat cry out, “More, more!”There are three things that are never satisfied—no, four that never say, “Enough!”:
16. the grave,the barren womb,the thirsty desert,the blazing fire.
17. The eye that mocks a fatherand despises a mother’s instructionswill be plucked out by ravens of the valleyand eaten by vultures.
18. There are three things that amaze me—no, four things that I don’t understand:
19. how an eagle glides through the sky,how a snake slithers on a rock,how a ship navigates the ocean,how a man loves a woman.
20. An adulterous woman consumes a man,then wipes her mouth and says, “What’s wrong with that?”
21. There are three things that make the earth tremble—no, four it cannot endure:
22. a slave who becomes a king,an overbearing fool who prospers,
23. a bitter woman who finally gets a husband,a servant girl who supplants her mistress.
24. There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:
25. Ants—they aren’t strong,but they store up food all summer.
26. Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,but they make their homes among the rocks.