²⁴Four are little ones of earth, And they are made wiser than the wise: ²⁵The ants are a people not strong, And they prepare in summer their food, ²⁶Conies are a people not strong, And they place in a rock their house, ²⁷A king there is not to the locust, And it goeth out—each one shouting, ²⁸A spider with two hands taketh hold, And is in the palaces of a king.

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In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Four things on earth are small,

but they are exceedingly wise:

the ants are a people not strong,

yet they provide their food in the summer;

the rock badgers are a people not mighty,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs;

the locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in rank;

the lizard you can take in your hands,

yet it is in kings’ palaces.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

“Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

Ants are creatures of little strength,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

hyraxes are creatures of little power,

yet they make their home in the crags;

locusts have no king,

yet they advance together in ranks;

a lizard can be caught with the hand,

yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Four things on earth are small,

yet they are extremely wise:

ants are not a strong people,

yet they store up their food in the summer;

hyraxes are not a mighty people,

yet they make their homes in the cliffs;

locusts have no king,

yet all of them march in ranks;

a lizard can be caught in your hands,

yet it lives in kings’ palaces.

NLTNew Living Translation

There are four things on earth that are small but unusually wise:

Ants—they aren’t strong,

but they store up food all summer.

Hyraxes—they aren’t powerful,

but they make their homes among the rocks.

Locusts—they have no king,

but they march in formation.

Lizards—they are easy to catch,

but they are found even in kings’ palaces.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

There are four small things on the earth,

and they are exceedingly wise:

The ants are a people who are not strong,

yet they prepare their food in the summer;

the badgers are a people who are not mighty,

yet they set their house on the rock;

there is no king for the locust,

yet it marches in rank;

a lizard you can seize with hands,

yet it is in palaces of kings.

KJV 1900King James Version

There be four things which are little upon the earth,

But they are exceeding wise:

The ants are a people not strong,

Yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

The conies are but a feeble folk,

Yet make they their houses in the rocks;

The locusts have no king,

Yet go they forth all of them by bands;

The spider taketh hold with her hands,

And is in kings’ palaces.

Public Domain