1 Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; Learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth. 2 Give ear, ye that rule the people, And glory in the multitude of nations. 3 For power is given you of the Lord, And sovereignty from the Highest, Who shall try your works, and search out your counsels. 4 Because, being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, Nor kept the law, Nor walked after the counsel of God; 5 Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: For a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high places. 6 For mercy will soon pardon the meanest: But mighty men shall be mightily tormented. 7 For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man’s person, Neither shall he stand in awe of any man’s greatness: For he hath made the small and great, And careth for all alike. 8 But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty. 9 Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, That ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away. 10 For they that keep holiness holily shall be judged holy: And they that have learned such things shall find what to answer. 11 Wherefore set your affection upon my words; Desire them, and ye shall be instructed. 12 Wisdom is glorious, and never fadeth away: Yea, she is easily seen of them that love her, And found of such as seek her. 13 She preventeth them that desire her, In making herself first known unto them. 14 Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail: For he shall find her sitting at his doors. 15 To think therefore upon her is the perfection of wisdom: And whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care. 16 For she goeth about seeking such as are worthy of her, Showeth herself favorably unto them in the ways, And meeteth them in every thought. 17 For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline; And the care of discipline is love; 18 And love is the keeping of her laws; And the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption; 19 And incorruption maketh us near unto God: 20 Therefore the desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom. 21 If your delight be then in thrones and scepters, O ye kings of the people, Honor wisdom, that ye may reign for evermore. 22 As for wisdom, what she is, and how she came up, I will tell you, And will not hide mysteries from you: But will seek her out from the beginning of her nativity, And bring the knowledge of her into light, And will not pass over the truth. 23 Neither will I go with consuming envy; For such a man shall have no fellowship with wisdom. 24 But the multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world: And a wise king is the upholding of the people. 25 Receive therefore instruction through my words, And it shall do you good.
Wisdom of Solomon · Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 6 Updated Brenton English Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Same Septuagint text as Brenton, with modernised spelling.
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The apostle "desires to depart, and to be with Christ." And, "My soul desired to long for Thy judgments;" or if it is more appropriate to say, "My soul longed to desire Thy judgments." And, "The desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom." Yet there has always obtained the usage of understanding desire and concupiscence in a bad sense if …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
"For mighty" men (it is said) "shall be mightily tormented:" and "He that knew his Lord's will, and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." So that more knowledge is a ground of more punishment.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Only let us open to Him our doors; for He goeth about seeking such as are worthy and searching on whom He may confer His gifts.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
And, therefore, Scripture does not say that the multitude of the eloquent, but "the multitude of the wise is the welfare of the world." And as we must often swallow wholesome bitters, so we must always avoid unwholesome sweets.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)