1 O how beautiful is the chaste fruit of purity! For its remembrance is immortal, because it is observed both with God and with men. 2 When it is present, they imitate it, and they desire it when it has withdrawn itself, and it triumphs crowned forever, winning the reward of undefiled conflicts. 3 But the great number of the many different kinds of the impious will not be to their advantage, and spurious seedlings will not be given deep roots, nor will they establish any firm foundation. 4 And if they spring forth with branches for a time, yet, being set infirmly, they will be shaken by the wind, and, by the superabundance of the winds, they will be eradicated. 5 For the incomplete branches will be broken, and their fruits will be useless, and bitter to eat, and fit for nothing. 6 For all the sons born from iniquity are witnesses of wickedness against their parents at their interrogation. 7 But the just, if death seizes him beforehand, will be refreshed. 8 For old age is made venerable, neither by lasting long, nor by counting the number of years; yet understanding is the gray hair of wisdom for men, 9 and an immaculate life is a generation of sages. 10 Pleasing to God, having been made beloved, and living among sinners, he was transformed. 11 He was quickly taken away, for malice could not alter his understanding, nor could deceit beguile his soul. 12 For fascination with entertainment obscures good things, and the unfaithfulness of desire subverts the mind without malice. 13 Completed in a short time, he fulfilled many times. 14 Truly his soul was pleasing to God. Because of this, he hastened to bring him out of the midst of iniquities, but the people see this and do not understand, nor do they place such things in their hearts: 15 that the grace and mercy of God is with his holy ones, and he watches over his elect. 16 But the just dead will condemn the impious living, and youth hastily completed results in a long unjust life. 17 For they will see the end of the wise, and will neither understand, nor imagine, that he is of God, and that therefore the Lord has safeguarded him. 18 For they will see and despise him, but the Lord will ridicule them. 19 And after this, they will fall without honor and with contempt among the dead forever. Seeing that they are puffed up and speechless, he will shatter them and will shake them from the foundations all the way to the top, to their utter desolation, and they will grieve and their remembrance will perish. 20 They will hurry with fear at the understanding of their sins, and their iniquities will bear witness against them.
Wisdom of Solomon · Catholic Public Domain Version
Wisdom of Solomon 4 Catholic Public Domain Version
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
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)