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.
1 Hear therefore, O ye kings, and understand; Learn, ye that be judges of the ends of the earth.
1 Hear therefore, you kings, and understand. Learn, you judges of the ends of the earth.
2 Give ear, ye that rule the people, And glory in the multitude of nations.
2 Give ear, you rulers who have dominion over many people, and make your boast in multitudes 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.
3 because your dominion was given to you from the Lord, and your sovereignty from the Most High. He will search out your works, and will inquire about your plans,
4 Because, being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, Nor kept the law, Nor walked after the counsel of God;
4 because being officers of his kingdom, you didn’t judge rightly, nor did you keep the law, nor did you walk according to God’s counsel.
5 Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: For a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high places.
5 He will come upon you awfully and swiftly, because a stern judgment comes on those who are in high places.
6 For mercy will soon pardon the meanest: But mighty men shall be mightily tormented.
6 For the man of low estate may be pardoned in mercy, but mighty men will be mightily tested.
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.
7 For the Sovereign Lord of all will not be impressed with anyone, neither will he show deference to greatness; because it is he who made both small and great, and cares about them all;
8 But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty.
8 but the scrutiny that comes upon the powerful is strict.
9 Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, That ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away.
9 Therefore, my words are to you, O princes, that you 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.
10 For those who have kept the things that are holy in holiness will be made holy. Those who have been taught them will find what to say in defense.
11 Wherefore set your affection upon my words; Desire them, and ye shall be instructed.
11 Therefore set your desire on my words. Long for them, and you princes will 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.
12 Wisdom is radiant and doesn’t fade away; and is easily seen by those who love her, and found by those who seek her.
13 She preventeth them that desire her, In making herself first known unto them.
13 She anticipates those who desire her, making herself known.
14 Whoso seeketh her early shall have no great travail: For he shall find her sitting at his doors.
14 He who rises up early to seek her won’t have difficulty, for he will find her sitting at his gates.
15 To think therefore upon her is the perfection of wisdom: And whoso watcheth for her shall quickly be without care.
15 For to think upon her is perfection of understanding, and he who watches for her will quickly be free from 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.
16 because she herself goes around, seeking those who are worthy of her, and in their paths she appears to them graciously, and in every purpose she meets them.
17 For the very true beginning of her is the desire of discipline; And the care of discipline is love;
17 For her true beginning is desire for instruction; and desire for instruction is love.
18 And love is the keeping of her laws; And the giving heed unto her laws is the assurance of incorruption;
18 And love is observance of her laws. To give heed to her laws confirms immortality.
19 And incorruption maketh us near unto God:
19 Immortality brings closeness to God.
20 Therefore the desire of wisdom bringeth to a kingdom.
20 So then desire for wisdom promotes 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.
21 If therefore you delight in thrones and sceptres, you princes of peoples, honor wisdom, that you may reign forever.
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.
22 But what wisdom is, and how she came into being, I will declare. I won’t hide mysteries from you; but I will explore from her first beginning, bring the knowledge of her into clear light, and I will not pass by the truth.
23 Neither will I go with consuming envy; For such a man shall have no fellowship with wisdom.
23 Indeed, I won’t travel with consuming envy, because envy will 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.
24 But a multitude of wise men is salvation to the world, and an understanding king is stability for his people.
25 Receive therefore instruction through my words, And it shall do you good.
25 Therefore be instructed by my words, and you will profit.
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)