Wisdom of Solomon · Catholic Public Domain Version
Wisdom of Solomon 9 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.
1 “God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who has made all things with your word,
1 “O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your word;
2 and by your wisdom has established man to have dominion over the creatures which have been made by you,
2 and by your wisdom you formed man, that he should have dominion over the creatures that were made by you,
3 so that he would order the world in equity and justice, and execute judgment with an upright heart,
3 and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, and execute judgment in uprightness of soul,
4 give me wisdom, the handmaiden at your throne, and be unwilling to reject me from among your children,
4 give me wisdom, her who sits by you on your thrones. Don’t reject me from among your servants,
5 because I am your servant, and the son of your handmaid, a weak man, and short-lived, with limited understanding of judgment and laws.
5 because I am your servant and the son of your handmaid, a weak and short-lived man, with little power to understand judgment and laws.
6 And if someone were perfect among the sons of men, yet if your wisdom was taken away from him, he would be counted as nothing.
6 For even if a man is perfect among the sons of men, if the wisdom that comes from you is not with him, he will count for nothing.
7 You have chosen me to be a king of your people, and a judge of your sons and daughters.
7 You chose me to be king of your people, and a judge for your sons and daughters.
8 And you called me to construct a temple on your holy mount, and, in the city of your dwelling, an altar in the likeness of your holy tabernacle, which you have prepared from the beginning.
8 You gave a command to build a sanctuary on your holy mountain, and an altar in the city where you live, a copy of the holy tent which you prepared from the beginning.
9 And with you is wisdom, who is familiar with your works, and who was nearby when you made the world, and who knows what is pleasing to your eyes, and who is guided by your teachings.
9 Wisdom is with you and knows your works, and was present when you were making the world, and understands what is pleasing in your eyes, and what is right according to your commandments.
10 Send her out of your holy heavens and from the throne of your majesty, so that she is with me and labors with me, and I will know what is acceptable with you.
10 Send her from the holy heavens, and ask her to come from the throne of your glory, that being present with me she may work, and I may learn what pleases you well.
11 For she knows and understands all things, and will lead me soberly in my works, and will guard me by her power.
11 For she knows all things and understands, and she will guide me prudently in my actions. She will guard me in her glory.
12 And my works will be acceptable, and I will govern your people justly, and I will be worthy of the throne of my father.
12 So my works will be acceptible. I will judge your people righteously, and I will be worthy of my father’s throne.
13 For who among men can know the counsel of God? Or who can imagine the will of God?
13 For what man will know the counsel of God? Or who will conceive what the Lord wills?
14 For the thoughts of mortals are timid, and our foresight is uncertain.
14 For the thoughts of mortals are unstable, and our plans are prone to fail.
15 For the corruptible body weighs down the soul, and this earthy dwelling presses many thoughts upon the mind.
15 For a corruptible body weighs down the soul. The earthy tent burdens a mind that is full of cares.
16 And we assess with difficulty the things that are of earth, and we discover with labor the things that are within our view. So who will search out the things that are in heaven?
16 We can hardly guess the things that are on earth, and we find the things that are close at hand with labor; but who has traced out the things that are in the heavens?
17 Moreover, who will know your mind, unless you give wisdom and send your holy spirit from on high?
17 Who gained knowledge of your counsel, unless you gave wisdom, and sent your holy spirit from on high?
18 And in this way, those who are on earth are corrected in their path, and men learn the things that are pleasing to you.
18 It was thus that the ways of those who are on earth were corrected, and men were taught the things that are pleasing to you. They were saved through wisdom.”
19 For by wisdom they are saved, who have pleased you, O Lord, from the beginning.”
19 Not in this translation
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).
… that there was one to whom I might cleave, but that I was not yet one who could cleave unto Thee; for that the body which is corrupted presseth down the soul, and the earthly dwelling weigheth down the mind which thinketh upon many things. And most certain I was that Thy "invisible things from the creation of the world …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
For the corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth upon many things." Many things certainly do I muse upon in this earthly tabernacle, because the one thing which is true among the many, or beyond the many, I cannot find.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
Hence that sentence of Scripture we quoted in a foregoing book, "For the corruptible body presseth down the soul." The word corruptible is added to show that the soul is burdened, not by any body whatsoever, but by the body such as it has become in consequence of sin.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)