Wisdom of Solomon 11

1She guided a righteous man on straight paths When he fled from his brother's wrath. She showed him the kingdom of God And gave him knowledge of holy things. She prospered him in hardships And increased the fruit of his labors.

εὐόδωσεν τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἐν χειρὶ προφήτου ἁγίου

2They traveled through an uninhabited desert And pitched their tents in impassable places.

διώδευσαν ἔρημον ἀοίκητον καὶ ἐν ἀβάτοις ἔπηξαν σκηνάς

3They held their ground in wars And defended themselves against their enemies.

ἀντέστησαν πολεμίοις καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἠμύναντο

4They thirsted and called upon You, And water was given them from a flinty rock, And a quenching of thirst from a hard stone;

ἐδίψησαν καὶ ἐπεκαλέσαντό σε καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐκ πέτρας ἀκροτόμου ὕδωρ καὶ ἴαμα δίψης ἐκ λίθου σκληροῦ

5For through the things by which their enemies were punished, They themselves when in need Had kindness shown to them.

δι᾿ ὧν γὰρ ἐκολάσθησαν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῶν διὰ τούτων αὐτοὶ ἀποροῦντες εὐεργετήθησαν

6In place of a spring of an ever-flowing river, Troubled and defiled with blood,

ἀντὶ μὲν πηγῆς ἀενάου ποταμοῦ αἵματι λυθρώδει ταραχθέντος

7In rebuke of the decree to slay the infants— You gave them abundant water unexpectedly,

εἰς ἔλεγχον νηπιοκτόνου διατάγματος ἔδωκας αὐτοῖς δαψιλὲς ὕδωρ ἀνελπίστως

8Showing through their thirst at that time How You punished their enemies.

δείξας διὰ τοῦ τότε δίψους πῶς τοὺς ὑπεναντίους ἐκόλασας

9For when they were tested, Though they were disciplined in mercy, They learned how the ungodly were tormented When judged in wrath.

ὅτε γὰρ ἐπειράσθησαν καίπερ ἐν ἐλέει παιδευόμενοι ἔγνωσαν πῶς μετ᾿ ὀργῆς κρινόμενοι ἀσεβεῖς ἐβασανίζοντο

10For You tested them, admonishing them like a father, But You examined the ungodly Like a severe king passing sentence.

τούτους μὲν γὰρ ὡς πατὴρ νουθετῶν ἐδοκίμασας ἐκείνους δὲ ὡς ἀπότομος βασιλεὺς καταδικάζων ἐξήτασας

11Whether present or absent, They were likewise consumed,

καὶ ἀπόντες δὲ καὶ παρόντες ὁμοίως ἐτρύχοντο

12For twofold grief possessed them And a groaning over the memory of all that happened.

διπλῆ γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἔλαβεν λύπη καὶ στεναγμὸς μνημῶν τῶν παρελθόντων

13For when they heard that through their own punishments The holy people had kindness shown to them, They understood it was the Lord's doing.

ὅτε γὰρ ἤκουσαν διὰ τῶν ἰδίων κολάσεων εὐεργετημένους αὐτούς ᾔσθοντο τοῦ κυρίου

14For they marveled at the outcome of the man They had cast out mockingly and exposed long before, For they did not thirst for godliness as do the righteous.

ὃν γὰρ ἐν ἐκθέσει πάλαι ῥιφέντα ἀπεῖπον χλευάζοντες ἐπὶ τέλει τῶν ἐκβάσεων ἐθαύμασαν οὐχ ὅμοια δικαίοις διψήσαντες

15In return for the wrongdoing of their senseless reasoning, In which they were led astray And worshiped irrational serpents and worthless animals, You sent upon them a multitude of animals in vengeance,

ἀντὶ δὲ λογισμῶν ἀσυνέτων ἀδικίας αὐτῶν ἐν οἷς πλανηθέντες ἐθρήσκευον ἄλογα ἑρπετὰ καὶ κνώδαλα εὐτελῆ ἐπαπέστειλας αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἀλόγων ζῴων εἰς ἐκδίκησιν

16So they might learn that one is punished By the things by which he sins.

ἵνα γνῶσιν ὅτι δι᾿ ὧν τις ἁμαρτάνει διὰ τούτων κολάζεται

17For Your all-powerful hand, Which created the world out of unformed matter, Did not lack the resource to send upon them A multitude of bears or bold lions,

οὐ γὰρ ἠπόρει ἡ παντοδύναμός σου χεὶρ καὶ κτίσασα τὸν κόσμον ἐξ ἀμόρφου ὕλης ἐπιπέμψαι αὐτοῖς πλῆθος ἄρκων ἢ θρασεῖς λέοντας

18Or newly created unknown beasts full of anger, Either snorting a breath of fire Or scattering like chaff a thick cloud of smoke, Or flashing terrible sparks from their eyes.

ἢ νεοκτίστους θυμοῦ πλήρεις θῆρας ἀγνώστους ἤτοι πυρπνόον φυσῶντας ἄσθμα ἢ βρόμον λικμωμένους καπνοῦ ἢ δεινοὺς ἀπ᾿ ὀμμάτων σπινθῆρας ἀστράπτοντας

19Not only could their damage utterly destroy men, But their mere outward appearance could terrify and kill them.

ὧν οὐ μόνον ἡ βλάβη ἠδύνατο συνεκτρῖψαι αὐτούς ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἐκφοβήσασα διολέσαι

20Even without these, men could fall in a single breath When they are pursued by justice And scattered like chaff by the breath of Your power; But You have ordered all things by measure, number, and weight.

καὶ χωρὶς δὲ τούτων ἑνὶ πνεύματι πεσεῖν ἐδύναντο ὑπὸ τῆς δίκης διωχθέντες καὶ λικμηθέντες ὑπὸ πνεύματος δυνάμεώς σου ἀλλὰ πάντα μέτρῳ καὶ ἀριθμῷ καὶ σταθμῷ διέταξας

21For great power is always present with You, And who can oppose the might of Your arm?

τὸ γὰρ μεγάλως ἰσχύειν σοι πάρεστιν πάντοτε καὶ κράτει βραχίονός σου τίς ἀντιστήσεται

22Because the entire world before You Is like a small additional weight on scales, And like a drop of dew early in the morning That falls on the ground.

ὅτι ὡς ῥοπὴ ἐκ πλαστίγγων ὅλος ὁ κόσμος ἐναντίον σου καὶ ὡς ῥανὶς δρόσου ὀρθρινὴ κατελθοῦσα ἐπὶ γῆν

23But You are merciful to all, for You can do all things; And You overlook the sins of men to bring them to repentance.

ἐλεεῖς δὲ πάντας ὅτι πάντα δύνασαι καὶ παρορᾷς ἁμαρτήματα ἀνθρώπων εἰς μετάνοιαν

24For You love all the things that exist, And You detest nothing of the things You made; For You would not even make anything You hated.

ἀγαπᾷς γὰρ τὰ ὄντα πάντα καὶ οὐδὲν βδελύσσῃ ὧν ἐποίησας οὐδὲ γὰρ ἂν μισῶν τι κατεσκεύασας

25How could anything continue to exist unless You willed it? Or how could anything be preserved Unless it was called into existence by You?

πῶς δὲ διέμεινεν ἄν τι εἰ μὴ σὺ ἠθέλησας ἢ τὸ μὴ κληθὲν ὑπὸ σοῦ διετηρήθη

26You spare all things, because they are Yours, O Master who love human beings.

φείδῃ δὲ πάντων ὅτι σά ἐστιν δέσποτα φιλόψυχε