Wisdom of Solomon 7

1Now I also am a mortal, the same as all men, And earthborn, a descendant of the first-formed man; For in the womb of a mother I was engraved as flesh.

εἰμὶ μὲν κἀγὼ θνητὸς ἄνθρωπος ἴσος ἅπασιν καὶ γηγενοῦς ἀπόγονος πρωτοπλάστου καὶ ἐν κοιλίᾳ μητρὸς ἐγλύφην σὰρξ

2In a period of ten months, I was constructed with blood From the seed of a man and the pleasure of marriage.

δεκαμηνιαίῳ χρόνῳ παγεὶς ἐν αἵματι ἐκ σπέρματος ἀνδρὸς καὶ ἡδονῆς ὕπνῳ συνελθούσης

3When I was born, I breathed the common air, Then fell upon the earth the same as all; And as my first sound, I cried like everyone else.

καὶ ἐγὼ δὲ γενόμενος ἔσπασα τὸν κοινὸν ἀέρα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ὁμοιοπαθῆ κατέπεσον γῆν πρώτην φωνὴν τὴν ὁμοίαν πᾶσιν ἴσα κλαίων

4I was nursed with care in swaddling cloths.

ἐν σπαργάνοις ἀνετράφην καὶ φροντίσιν

5Thus no king had a different beginning of existence,

οὐδεὶς γὰρ βασιλέων ἑτέραν ἔσχεν γενέσεως ἀρχήν

6For there is one entrance into life for all, And a common departure.

μία δὲ πάντων εἴσοδος εἰς τὸν βίον ἔξοδός τε ἴση

7I appealed to God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.

διὰ τοῦτο εὐξάμην καὶ φρόνησις ἐδόθη μοι ἐπεκαλεσάμην καὶ ἦλθέν μοι πνεῦμα σοφίας

8I preferred her to scepter and thrones, And regarded wealth as nothing in comparison to her.

προέκρινα αὐτὴν σκήπτρων καὶ θρόνων καὶ πλοῦτον οὐδὲν ἡγησάμην ἐν συγκρίσει αὐτῆς

9Nor did I liken her to any priceless stone, Because all gold is only a little sand in her sight. And silver will be counted as clay before her.

οὐδὲ ὡμοίωσα αὐτῇ λίθον ἀτίμητον ὅτι ὁ πᾶς χρυσὸς ἐν ὄψει αὐτῆς ψάμμος ὀλίγη καὶ ὡς πηλὸς λογισθήσεται ἄργυρος ἐναντίον αὐτῆς

10I loved her more than health and beauty, And I chose her instead of light, Because her light is sleepless.

ὑπὲρ ὑγίειαν καὶ εὐμορφίαν ἠγάπησα αὐτὴν καὶ προειλόμην αὐτὴν ἀντὶ φωτὸς ἔχειν ὅτι ἀκοίμητον τὸ ἐκ ταύτης φέγγος

11All good things came to me together with her, And in her hands countless wealth.

ἦλθεν δέ μοι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ὁμοῦ πάντα μετ᾿ αὐτῆς καὶ ἀναρίθμητος πλοῦτος ἐν χερσὶν αὐτῆς

12I was gladdened by all of them Because wisdom rules them; But I did not know she was their mother.

εὐφράνθην δὲ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὅτι αὐτῶν ἡγεῖται σοφία ἠγνόουν δὲ αὐτὴν γενέτιν εἶναι τούτων

13So I learned both honestly and ungrudgingly, And I do not hide her wealth,

ἀδόλως τε ἔμαθον ἀφθόνως τε μεταδίδωμι τὸν πλοῦτον αὐτῆς οὐκ ἀποκρύπτομαι

14For it is an unfailing treasure for men Who, when they get it, obtain friendship with God, For they demonstrate her gifts that come from instruction.

ἀνεκλιπὴς γὰρ θησαυρός ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις ὃν οἱ κτησάμενοι πρὸς θεὸν ἐστείλαντο φιλίαν διὰ τὰς ἐκ παιδείας δωρεὰς συσταθέντες

15May God grant me to speak according to His purpose And to think worthily of what I was given, For He is also the guide of wisdom and the corrector of the wise.

ἐμοὶ δὲ δῴη ὁ θεὸς εἰπεῖν κατὰ γνώμην καὶ ἐνθυμηθῆναι ἀξίως τῶν δεδομένων ὅτι αὐτὸς καὶ τῆς σοφίας ὁδηγός ἐστιν καὶ τῶν σοφῶν διορθωτής

16For both we and our words are in His hand, And so are all insights and knowledge of handicrafts.

ἐν γὰρ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡμεῖς καὶ οἱ λόγοι ἡμῶν πᾶσά τε φρόνησις καὶ ἐργατειῶν ἐπιστήμη

17For He gives me knowledge of the things that exist: To know the truthful structure of the world, The operative power of its elementary principles,

αὐτὸς γάρ μοι ἔδωκεν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων

18The beginning, end, and middle of the times, The changes of the solstices and the transitions of the seasons,

ἀρχὴν καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων τροπῶν ἀλλαγὰς καὶ μεταβολὰς καιρῶν

19The cycles of the year and the arranging of the stars,

ἐνιαυτοῦ κύκλους καὶ ἄστρων θέσεις

20The natures of animals and the tempers of beasts, The force of winds and the reasoning of mankind, The distinction of plants and the strength of roots,

φύσεις ζῴων καὶ θυμοὺς θηρίων πνευμάτων βίας καὶ διαλογισμοὺς ἀνθρώπων διαφορὰς φυτῶν καὶ δυνάμεις ῥιζῶν

21And to know whatever is hidden and whatever is visible. For wisdom, the artisan of all things, taught me.

ὅσα τέ ἐστιν κρυπτὰ καὶ ἐμφανῆ ἔγνων ἡ γὰρ πάντων τεχνῖτις ἐδίδαξέν με σοφία

22So in herself, wisdom is a spirit that is rational, Holy, only-begotten, manifold, subtle, easily moved, clear, Undefiled, manifest, invulnerable, loving what is good, keen,

ἔστιν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερόν ἅγιον μονογενές πολυμερές λεπτόν εὐκίνητον τρανόν ἀμόλυντον σαφές ἀπήμαντον φιλάγαθον ὀξύ

23Unhindered, beneficent, man-loving, steadfast, unfailing, Free from worry, all-powerful, all-surveying, And penetrating all spirits that are rational, pure, and most subtle.

ἀκώλυτον εὐεργετικόν φιλάνθρωπον βέβαιον ἀσφαλές ἀμέριμνον παντοδύναμον πανεπίσκοπον καὶ διὰ πάντων χωροῦν πνευμάτων νοερῶν καθαρῶν λεπτοτάτων

24For wisdom moves from one place to another More easily than motion itself, And because of her purity, she penetrates all things.

πάσης γὰρ κινήσεως κινητικώτερον σοφία διήκει δὲ καὶ χωρεῖ διὰ πάντων διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα

25So she is the exhalation of the power of God And the emanation of the pure glory of the Almighty; Therefore nothing defiled enters her.

ἀτμὶς γάρ ἐστιν τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἀπόρροια τῆς τοῦ παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲν μεμιαμμένον εἰς αὐτὴν παρεμπίπτει

26For she is the radiance of eternal light, A spotless mirror of the operative power of God And the image of His goodness.

ἀπαύγασμα γάρ ἐστιν φωτὸς ἀϊδίου καὶ ἔσοπτρον ἀκηλίδωτον τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνεργείας καὶ εἰκὼν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ

27Though she is one, she can do all things; So while remaining in herself, she renews all things; And in every generation, she passes into holy souls And makes them friends of God and prophets.

μία δὲ οὖσα πάντα δύναται καὶ μένουσα ἐν αὑτῇ τὰ πάντα καινίζει καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς εἰς ψυχὰς ὁσίας μεταβαίνουσα φίλους θεοῦ καὶ προφήτας κατασκευάζει

28Thus God loves nothing as much As the one who lives with wisdom.

οὐθὲν γὰρ ἀγαπᾷ ὁ θεὸς εἰ μὴ τὸν σοφίᾳ συνοικοῦντα

29For wisdom is more beautiful than the sun And more than every constellation of stars. Compared with light she is found to be superior,

ἔστιν γὰρ αὕτη εὐπρεπεστέρα ἡλίου καὶ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἄστρων θέσιν φωτὶ συγκρινομένη εὑρίσκεται προτέρα

30For night succeeds the light, But evil cannot overcome wisdom.

τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ διαδέχεται νύξ σοφίας δὲ οὐ κατισχύει κακία