Wisdom of Solomon · Brenton's English Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 4 Brenton's English Septuagint
Notes on this text (2)
- Square brackets mark words Brenton supplied for English sense.
- Old Testament only (no New Testament). First printed 1844; the 1851 edition added the deuterocanonical books.
1 Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue: for the memorial thereof is immortal: because it is known with God, and with men.
1 It is better to be childless with virtue, for immortality is in the memory of virtue, because it is recognized both before God and before men.
2 When it is present, men take example at it; and when it is gone, they desire it: it weareth a crown, and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards.
2 When it is present, people imitate it. They long after it when it has departed. Throughout all time it marches, crowned in triumph, victorious in the competition for the prizes that are undefiled.
3 But the multiplying brood of the ungodly shall not thrive, nor take deep rooting from bastard slips, nor lay any fast foundation.
3 But the multiplying brood of the ungodly will be of no profit, and their illegitimate offshoots won’t take deep root, nor will they establish a sure hold.
4 For though they flourish in branches for a time; yet standing not fast, they shall be shaken with the wind, and through the force of winds they shall be rooted out.
4 For even if they grow branches and flourish for a season, standing unsure, they will be shaken by the wind. They will be uprooted by the violence of winds.
5 The imperfect branches shall be broken off, their fruit unprofitable, not ripe to eat, yea, meet for nothing.
5 Their branches will be broken off before they come to maturity. Their fruit will be useless, never ripe to eat, and fit for nothing.
6 For children begotten of unlawful beds are witnesses of wickedness against their parents in their trial.
6 For unlawfully conceived children are witnesses of wickedness against parents when they are investigated.
7 But though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest.
7 But a righteous man, even if he dies before his time, will be at rest.
8 For honourable age is not that which standeth in length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.
8 For honorable old age is not that which stands in length of time, nor is its measure given by number of years,
9 But wisdom is the grey hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age.
9 but understanding is gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is ripe old age.
10 He pleased God, and was beloved of him: so that living among sinners he was translated.
10 Being found well-pleasing to God, someone was loved. While living among sinners he was transported.
11 Yea, speedily was he taken away, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or deceit beguile his soul.
11 He was caught away, lest evil should change his understanding, or guile deceive his soul.
12 For the bewitching of naughtiness doth obscure things that are honest; and the wandering of concupiscence doth undermine the simple mind.
12 For the fascination of wickedness obscures the things which are good, and the whirl of desire perverts an innocent mind.
13 He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:
13 Being made perfect quickly, he filled a long time;
14 for his soul pleased the Lord: therefore hasted he [to take him away] from among the wicked.
14 for his soul was pleasing to the Lord. Therefore he hurried out of the midst of wickedness.
15 This the people saw, and understood not, neither laid they up this in their minds, That his grace and mercy is with his saints, and that he hath respect unto his chosen.
15 But the peoples saw and didn’t understand, not considering this, that grace and mercy are with his chosen, and that he visits his holy ones;
16 Thus the righteous that is dead shall condemn the ungodly which are living; and youth that is soon perfected the many years and old age of the unrighteous.
16 but a righteous man who is dead will condemn the ungodly who are living, and youth who is quickly perfected will condemn the many years of an unrighteous man’s old age.
17 For they shall see the end of the wise, and shall not understand what God in his counsel hath decreed of him, and to what end the Lord hath set him in safety.
17 For the ungodly will see a wise man’s end, and won’t understand what the Lord planned for him, and why he safely kept him.
18 They shall see him, and despise him; but God shall laugh them to scorn; and they shall hereafter be a vile carcase, and a reproach among the dead for evermore.
18 They will see, and they will despise; but the Lord will laugh them to scorn. After this, they will become a dishonored carcass and a reproach among the dead forever;
19 For he shall rend them, and cast them down headlong, that they shall be speechless; and he shall shake them from the foundation; and they shall be utterly laid waste, and be in sorrow; and their memorial shall perish.
19 because he will dash them speechless to the ground, and will shake them from the foundations. They will lie utterly waste. They will be in anguish and their memory will perish.
20 And when they cast up the account of their sins, they shall come with fear: and their own iniquities shall convince them to their face.
20 They will come with coward fear when their sins are counted. Their lawless deeds will convict them to their face.
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).
Of whom it was said before in Wisdom, "Their own iniquities shall convince them to their face." Without doubt they will see that they are justly condemned for their sins and wickednesses; yet it will be as though He said to them, "It is not in consequence of this that ye think, but because I was hungry, and ye gave …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
What if "he was taken away, lest wickedness should alter his understanding." But he was a sinner, thou sayest, and therefore I wished him to live, that he might be corrected.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
Now God grants them the approach of a healthy shame, if they despise not the medicine of confession: but if they will not now be ashamed, then they shall be ashamed, when "their iniquities shall convince them to their face." How shall they be ashamed?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)