Wisdom of Solomon

Chapter 1

2: because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.

4: because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin.

Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 2   

1: For they reasoned unsoundly, saying to themselves, "Short and sorrowful is our life, and there is no remedy when a man comes to his end, and no one has been known to return from Hades.

2: Because we were born by mere chance, and hereafter we shall be as though we had never been; because the breath in our nostrils is smoke, and reason is a spark kindled by the beating of our hearts.

3: When it is extinguished, the body will turn to ashes, and the spirit will dissolve like empty air.

4: Our name will be forgotten in time and no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome by its heat. 

5: For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed up and no one turns back.  

6: "Come, therefore, let us enjoy the good things that exist, and make use of the creation to the full as in youth.

7: Let us take our fill of costly wine and perfumes, and let no flower of spring pass by us.

8: Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither. 

9: Let none of us fail to share in our revelry, everywhere let us leave signs of enjoyment, because this is our portion, and this our lot.

10: Let us oppress the righteous poor man; let us not spare the widow nor regard the gray hairs of the aged.

11: But let our might be our law of right, for what is weak proves itself to be useless.

12: "Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law, and accuses us of sins against our training.

13: He professes to have knowledge of God, and calls himself a child of the Lord.

14: He became to us a reproof of our thoughts;

15: the very sight of him is a burden to us, because his manner of life is unlike that of others, and his ways are strange.

16: We are considered by him as something base, and he avoids our ways as unclean; he calls the last end of the righteous happy, and boasts that God is his father.

17: Let us see if his words are true, and let us test what will happen at the end of his life;

18: for if the righteous man is God's son, he will help him, and will deliver him from the hand of his adversaries.

19: Let us test him with insult and torture, that we may find out how gentle he is, and make trial of his forbearance. 

20: Let us condemn him to a shameful death, for, according to what he says, he will be protected."

21: Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them,

22: and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the prize for blameless souls;

23: for God created man for incorruption, and made him in the image of his own eternity,

24: but through the devil's envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his party experience it.

                    Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 3

1: But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them.
2: In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction,
3: and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace.
4: For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.
5: Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
6: like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
7: In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.
8: They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them for ever.
9: Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.
10: But the ungodly will be punished as their reasoning deserves, who disregarded the righteous man and rebelled against the Lord;
11: for whoever despises wisdom and instruction is miserable. Their hope is vain, their labors are unprofitable, and their works are useless.
12: Their wives are foolish, and their children evil;
13: their offspring are accursed. For blessed is the barren woman who is undefiled, who has not entered into a sinful union; she will have fruit when God examines souls.
14: Blessed also is the eunuch whose hands have done no lawless deed, and who has not devised wicked things against the Lord; for special favor will be shown him for his faithfulness, and a place of great delight in the temple of the Lord.
15: For the fruit of good labors is renowned, and the root of understanding does not fail.
16: But children of adulterers will not come to maturity, and the offspring of an unlawful union will perish.
17: Even if they live long they will be held of no account, and finally their old age will be without honor.
18: If they die young, they will have no hope and no consolation in the day of decision.
19: For the end of an unrighteous generation is grievous.

                     Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 4

1: Better than this is childlessness with virtue, for in the memory of virtue is immortality, because it is known both by God and by men.
2: When it is present, men imitate it, and they long for it when it has gone; and throughout all time it marches crowned in triumph, victor in the contest for prizes that are undefiled.
3: But the prolific brood of the ungodly will be of no use, and none of their illegitimate seedlings will strike a deep root or take a firm hold.
4: For even if they put forth boughs for a while, standing insecurely they will be shaken by the wind, and by the violence of the winds they will be uprooted.
5: The branches will be broken off before they come to maturity, and their fruit will be useless, not ripe enough to eat, and good for nothing.
6: For children born of unlawful unions are witnesses of evil against their parents when God examines them.
7: But the righteous man, though he die early, will be at rest.
8: For old age is not honored for length of time, nor measured by number of years;
9: but understanding is gray hair for men, and a blameless life is ripe old age.
10: There was one who pleased God and was loved by him, and while living among sinners he was taken up.
11: He was caught up lest evil change his understanding or guile deceive his soul.
12: For the fascination of wickedness obscures what is good, and roving desire perverts the innocent mind.
13: Being perfected in a short time, he fulfilled long years;
14: for his soul was pleasing to the Lord, therefore he took him quickly from the midst of wickedness.
15: Yet the peoples saw and did not understand, nor take such a thing to heart, that God's grace and mercy are with his elect, and he watches over his holy ones.
16: The righteous man who had died will condemn the ungodly who are living, and youth that is quickly perfected will condemn the prolonged old age of the unrighteous man.
17: For they will see the end of the wise man, and will not understand what the Lord purposed for him, and for what he kept him safe.
18: They will see, and will have contempt for him, but the Lord will laugh them to scorn. After this they will become dishonored corpses, and an outrage among the dead for ever;
19: because he will dash them speechless to the ground, and shake them from the foundations; they will be left utterly dry and barren, and they will suffer anguish, and the memory of them will perish.
20: They will come with dread when their sins are reckoned up, and their lawless deeds will convict them to their face.

                      Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 5

1: Then the righteous man will stand with great confidence in the presence of those who have afflicted him, and those who make light of his labors.
2: When they see him, they will be shaken with dreadful fear, and they will be amazed at his unexpected salvation.
3: They will speak to one another in repentance, and in anguish of spirit they will groan, and say,
4: "This is the man whom we once held in derision and made a byword of reproach -- we fools! We thought that his life was madness and that his end was without honor.
5: Why has he been numbered among the sons of God? And why is his lot among the saints?
6: So it was we who strayed from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness did not shine on us, and the sun did not rise upon us.
7: We took our fill of the paths of lawlessness and destruction, and we journeyed through trackless deserts, but the way of the Lord we have not known.
8: What has our arrogance profited us? And what good has our boasted wealth brought us?
9: "All those things have vanished like a shadow, and like a rumor that passes by;
10: like a ship that sails through the billowy water, and when it has passed no trace can be found, nor track of its keel in the waves;
11: or as, when a bird flies through the air, no evidence of its passage is found; the light air, lashed by the beat of its pinions and pierced by the force of its rushing flight, is traversed by the movement of its wings, and afterward no sign of its coming is found there;
12: or as, when an arrow is shot at a target, the air, thus divided, comes together at once, so that no one knows its pathway.
13: So we also, as soon as we were born, ceased to be, and we had no sign of virtue to show, but were consumed in our wickedness."
14: Because the hope of the ungodly man is like chaff carried by the wind, and like a light hoarfrost driven away by a storm; it is dispersed like smoke before the wind, and it passes like the remembrance of a guest who stays but a day.
15: But the righteous live for ever, and their reward is with the Lord; the Most High takes care of them.
16: Therefore they will receive a glorious crown and a beautiful diadem from the hand of the Lord, because with his right hand he will cover them, and with his arm he will shield them.
17: The Lord will take his zeal as his whole armor, and will arm all creation to repel his enemies;
18: he will put on righteousness as a breastplate, and wear impartial justice as a helmet;
19: he will take holiness as an invincible shield,
20: and sharpen stern wrath for a sword, and creation will join with him to fight against the madmen.
21: Shafts of lightning will fly with true aim, and will leap to the target as from a well-drawn bow of clouds,
22: and hailstones full of wrath will be hurled as from a catapult; the water of the sea will rage against them, and rivers will relentlessly overwhelm them;
23: a mighty wind will rise against them , and like a tempest it will winnow them away. Lawlessness will lay waste the whole earth, and evil-doing will overturn the thrones of rulers.

Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 6

1: Listen therefore, O kings, and understand; learn, O judges of the ends of the earth.
2: Give ear, you that rule over multitudes, and boast of many nations.
3: For your dominion was given you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High, who will search out your works and inquire into your plans.
4: Because as servants of his kingdom you did not rule rightly, nor keep the law, nor walk according to the purpose of God,
5: he will come upon you terribly and swiftly, because severe judgment falls on those in high places.
6: For the lowliest man may be pardoned in mercy, but mighty men will be mightily tested.
7: For the Lord of all will not stand in awe of any one, nor show deference to greatness; because he himself made both small and great, and he takes thought for all alike.
8: But a strict inquiry is in store for the mighty.
9: To you then, O monarchs, my words are directed, that you may learn wisdom and not transgress.
10: For they will be made holy who observe holy things in holiness, and those who have been taught them will find a defense.
11: Therefore set your desire on my words; long for them, and you will be instructed.
12: Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her, and is found by those who seek her.
13: She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
14: He who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates.
15: To fix one's thought on her is perfect understanding, and he who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
16: because she goes about seeking those worthy of her, and she graciously appears to them in their paths, and meets them in every thought.
17: The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction, and concern for instruction is love of her,
18: and love of her is the keeping of her laws, and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,
19: and immortality brings one near to God;
20: so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.
21: Therefore if you delight in thrones and scepters, O monarchs over the peoples, honor wisdom, that you may reign for ever.
22: I will tell you what wisdom is and how she came to be, and I will hide no secrets from you, but I will trace her course from the beginning of creation, and make knowledge of her clear, and I will not pass by the truth;
23: neither will I travel in the company of sickly envy, for envy does not associate with wisdom.
24: A multitude of wise men is the salvation of the world, and a sensible king is the stability of his people.
25: Therefore be instructed by my words, and you will profit.

                        Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 7

1: I also am mortal, like all men, a descendant of the first-formed child of earth; and in the womb of a mother I was molded into flesh,
2: within the period of ten months, compacted with blood, from the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage.
3: And when I was born, I began to breathe the common air, and fell upon the kindred earth, and my first sound was a cry, like that of all.
4: I was nursed with care in swaddling cloths.
5: For no king has had a different beginning of existence;
6: there is for all mankind one entrance into life, and a common departure.
7: Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
8: I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her.
9: Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her.
10: I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases.
11: All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.
12: I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom leads them; but I did not know that she was their mother.
13: I learned without guile and I impart without grudging; I do not hide her wealth,
14: for it is an unfailing treasure for men; those who get it obtain friendship with God, commended for the gifts that come from instruction.
15: May God grant that I speak with judgment and have thought worthy of what I have received, for he is the guide even of wisdom and the corrector of the wise.
16: For both we and our words are in his hand, as are all understanding and skill in crafts.
17: For it is he who gave me unerring knowledge of what exists, to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements;
18: the beginning and end and middle of times, the alternations of the solstices and the changes of the seasons,
19: the cycles of the year and the constellations of the stars,
20: the natures of animals and the tempers of wild beasts, the powers of spirits and the reasonings of men, the varieties of plants and the virtues of roots;
21: I learned both what is secret and what is manifest,
22: for wisdom, the fashioner of all things, taught me. For in her there is a spirit that is intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, mobile, clear, unpolluted, distinct, invulnerable, loving the good, keen, irresistible,
23: beneficent, humane, steadfast, sure, free from anxiety, all-powerful, overseeing all, and penetrating through all spirits that are intelligent and pure and most subtle.
24: For wisdom is more mobile than any motion; because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things.
25: For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore nothing defiled gains entrance into her.
26: For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.
27: Though she is but one, she can do all things, and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
28: for God loves nothing so much as the man who lives with wisdom.
29: For she is more beautiful than the sun, and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior,
30: for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail.

                       Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 8

1: She reaches mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and she orders all things well.
2: I loved her and sought her from my youth, and I desired to take her for my bride, and I became enamored of her beauty.
3: She glorifies her noble birth by living with God, and the Lord of all loves her.
4: For she is an initiate in the knowledge of God, and an associate in his works.
5: If riches are a desirable possession in life, what is richer than wisdom who effects all things?
6: And if understanding is effective, who more than she is fashioner of what exists?
7: And if any one loves righteousness, her labors are virtues; for she teaches self-control and prudence, justice and courage; nothing in life is more profitable for men than these.
8: And if any one longs for wide experience, she knows the things of old, and infers the things to come; she understands turns of speech and the solutions of riddles; she has foreknowledge of signs and wonders and of the outcome of seasons and times.
9: Therefore I determined to take her to live with me, knowing that she would give me good counsel and encouragement in cares and grief.
10: Because of her I shall have glory among the multitudes and honor in the presence of the elders, though I am young.
11: I shall be found keen in judgment, and in the sight of rulers I shall be admired.
12: When I am silent they will wait for me, and when I speak they will give heed; and when I speak at greater length they will put their hands on their mouths.
13: Because of her I shall have immortality, and leave an everlasting remembrance to those who come after me.
14: I shall govern peoples, and nations will be subject to me;
15: dread monarchs will be afraid of me when they hear of me; among the people I shall show myself capable, and courageous in war.
16: When I enter my house, I shall find rest with her, for companionship with her has no bitterness, and life with her has no pain, but gladness and joy.
17: When I considered these things inwardly, and thought upon them in my mind, that in kinship with wisdom there is immortality,
18: and in friendship with her, pure delight, and in the labors of her hands, unfailing wealth, and in the experience of her company, understanding, and renown in sharing her words, I went about seeking how to get her for myself.
19: As a child I was by nature well endowed, and a good soul fell to my lot;
20: or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.
21: But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom unless God gave her to me -- and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was -- so I appealed to the Lord and besought him, and with my whole heart I said:

                      Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 9

1: "O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things by thy word,
2: and by thy wisdom hast formed man, to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made,
3: and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul,
4: give me the wisdom that sits by thy throne, and do not reject me from among thy servants.
5: For I am thy slave and the son of thy maidservant, a man who is weak and short-lived, with little understanding of judgment and laws;
6: for even if one is perfect among the sons of men, yet without the wisdom that comes from thee he will be regarded as nothing.
7: Thou hast chosen me to be king of thy people and to be judge over thy sons and daughters.
8: Thou hast given command to build a temple on thy holy mountain, and an altar in the city of thy habitation, a copy of the holy tent which thou didst prepare from the beginning.
9: With thee is wisdom, who knows thy works and was present when thou didst make the world, and who understand what is pleasing in thy sight and what is right according to thy commandments.
10: Send her forth from the holy heavens, and from the throne of thy glory send her, that she may be with me and toil, and that I may learn what is pleasing to thee.
11: For she knows and understands all things, and she will guide me wisely in my actions and guard me with her glory.
12: Then my works will be acceptable, and I shall judge thy people justly, and shall be worthy of the throne of my father.
13: For what man can learn the counsel of God? Or who can discern what the Lord wills?
14: For the reasoning of mortals is worthless, and our designs are likely to fail,
15: for a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind.
16: We can hardly guess at what is on earth, and what is at hand we find with labor; but who has traced out what is in the heavens?
17: Who has learned thy counsel, unless thou hast given wisdom and sent thy holy Spirit from on high?
18: And thus the paths of those on earth were set right, and men were taught what pleases thee, and were saved by wisdom."

                  Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 10

1: Wisdom protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created; she delivered him from his transgression,
2: and gave him strength to rule all things.
3: But when an unrighteous man departed from her in his anger, he perished because in rage he slew his brother.
4: When the earth was flooded because of him, wisdom again saved it, steering the righteous man by a paltry piece of wood.
5: Wisdom also, when the nations in wicked agreement had been confounded, recognized the righteous man and preserved him blameless before God, and kept him strong in the face of his compassion for his child.
6: Wisdom rescued a righteous man when the ungodly were perishing; he escaped the fire that descended on the Five Cities.
7: Evidence of their wickedness still remains: a continually smoking wasteland, plants bearing fruit that does not ripen, and a pillar of salt standing as a monument to an unbelieving soul.
8: For because they passed wisdom by, they not only were hindered from recognizing the good, but also left for mankind a reminder of their folly, so that their failures could never go unnoticed.
9: Wisdom rescued from troubles those who served her.
10: When a righteous man fled from his brother's wrath, she guided him on straight paths; she showed him the kingdom of God, and gave him knowledge of angels; she prospered him in his labors, and increased the fruit of his toil.
11: When his oppressors were covetous, she stood by him and made him rich.
12: She protected him from his enemies, and kept him safe from those who lay in wait for him; in his arduous contest she gave him the victory, so that he might learn that godliness is more powerful than anything.
13: When a righteous man was sold, wisdom did not desert him, but delivered him from sin. She descended with him into the dungeon,
14: and when he was in prison she did not leave him, until she brought him the scepter of a kingdom and authority over his masters. Those who accused him she showed to be false, and she gave him everlasting honor.
15: A holy people and blameless race wisdom delivered from a nation of oppressors.
16: She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, and withstood dread kings with wonders and signs.
17: She gave holy men the reward of their labors; she guided them along a marvelous way, and became a shelter to them by day, and a starry flame through the night.
18: She brought them over the Red Sea, and led them through deep waters;
19: but she drowned their enemies, and cast them up from the depth of the sea.
20: Therefore the righteous plundered the ungodly; they sang hymns, O Lord, to thy holy name, and praised with one accord thy defending hand,
21: because wisdom opened the mouth of the dumb, and made the tongues of babes speak clearly.