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.
Wisdom of Solomon is not in RV1909.
CPDV Catholic Public Domain Version
RV1909 Reina-Valera 1909
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
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.
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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2 When it is present, they imitate it, and they desire it when it has withdrawn itself, and it triumphs crowned forever, winning the reward of undefiled conflicts.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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 For the incomplete branches will be broken, and their fruits will be useless, and bitter to eat, and fit for nothing.
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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 all the sons born from iniquity are witnesses of wickedness against their parents at their interrogation.
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6 For unlawfully conceived children are witnesses of wickedness against parents when they are investigated.
7 But the just, if death seizes him beforehand, will be refreshed.
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7 But a righteous man, even if he dies before his time, will be at rest.
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,
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8 For honorable old age is not that which stands in length of time, nor is its measure given by number of years,
9 and an immaculate life is a generation of sages.
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9 but understanding is gray hair to men, and an unspotted life is ripe old age.
10 Pleasing to God, having been made beloved, and living among sinners, he was transformed.
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10 Being found well-pleasing to God, someone was loved. While living among sinners he was transported.
11 He was quickly taken away, for malice could not alter his understanding, nor could deceit beguile his soul.
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11 He was caught away, lest evil should change his understanding, or guile deceive his soul.
12 For fascination with entertainment obscures good things, and the unfaithfulness of desire subverts the mind without malice.
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12 For the fascination of wickedness obscures the things which are good, and the whirl of desire perverts an innocent mind.
13 Completed in a short time, he fulfilled many times.
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13 Being made perfect quickly, he filled a long time;
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:
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14 for his soul was pleasing to the Lord. Therefore he hurried out of the midst of wickedness.
15 that the grace and mercy of God is with his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.
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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 But the just dead will condemn the impious living, and youth hastily completed results in a long unjust life.
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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 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.
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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 For they will see and despise him, but the Lord will ridicule them.
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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 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.
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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 They will hurry with fear at the understanding of their sins, and their iniquities will bear witness against them.
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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)