Wisdom of Solomon · Church Slavonic Bible (Elizabeth Bible)
Wisdom of Solomon 13 Church Slavonic Bible (Elizabeth Bible)
Notes on this text (3)
- Church Slavonic in its traditional (Synodal) spelling, with accents, breathings and titlo abbreviations, shown in the Ponomar font (SIL Open Font License).
- Exodus 36–39 follow the Septuagint's order; the digital source has no verse divisions there, so Exodus 36:8–end and chapters 37, 38 and 39 each appear as one block.
- Not shown: the lectionary pericope numbers (зача́ло) and the marginal glosses of the digital source. The Prayer of Manasseh stands at the end of 2 Chronicles (36:24), as in the Slavonic Bible; the prologue of Sirach and the opening verse of Lamentations are joined to verse 1.
Slavonic Church Slavonic Bible (Elizabeth Bible)
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
1 Сꙋ́етни ᲂу҆̀бо всѝ человѣ́цы є҆сте́ственнѣ, въ ни́хже ѡ҆брѣта́етсѧ невѣ́дѣнїе ѡ҆ бз҃ѣ, и҆ ѿ ви́димыхъ бла̑гъ не возмого́ша ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ́ти сꙋ́щаго, ни дѣлѡ́мъ вне́млюще позна́ша хитреца̀:
1 For truly all men who had no perception of God were foolish by nature, and didn’t gain power to know him who exists from the good things that are seen. They didn’t recognize the architect from his works.
2 но и҆лѝ ѻ҆́гнь, и҆лѝ дꙋ́хъ, и҆лѝ ско́ръ воздꙋ́хъ, и҆лѝ крꙋ́гъ ѕвѣ́здный, и҆лѝ ѕѣ́льнꙋю во́дꙋ, и҆лѝ свѣти̑ла небє́снаѧ, строи́тєли мі́рꙋ бо́ги (бы́ти) возмнѣ́ша.
2 But they thought that either fire, or wind, or swift air, or circling stars, or raging water, or luminaries of heaven were gods that rule the world.
3 И҆́хже а҆́ще ᲂу҆́бѡ красото́ю ᲂу҆слажда́ющесѧ, сїѧ̑ бо́ги возмнѣ́ша, да ᲂу҆вѣ́дѧтъ, коли́кѡ си́хъ влⷣка є҆́сть лꙋ́чшїй: красоты́ бо родонача́льникъ созда̀ ѧ҆̀.
3 If it was through delight in their beauty that they took them to be gods, let them know how much better their Sovereign Lord is than these, for the first author of beauty created them.
4 А҆́ще же си́лѣ и҆ дѣ́йствїю ᲂу҆диви́шасѧ, да ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ́ютъ ѿ ни́хъ, коли́кѡ сотвори́вый сїѧ̑ си́льнѣйшїй є҆́сть:
4 But if it was through astonishment at their power and influence, then let them understand from them how much more powerful he who formed them is.
5 ѿ вели́чества бо красоты̀ созда́нїй сравни́тельнѡ рододѣ́латель и҆́хъ познава́етсѧ.
5 For from the greatness of the beauty of created things, mankind forms the corresponding perception of their Maker.
6 Но ѻ҆ба́че на си́хъ є҆́сть ᲂу҆ничиже́нїе ма́ло, и҆́бо са́ми сі́и не́гли прельща́ютсѧ, бг҃а и҆́щꙋще и҆ хотѧ́ще ѡ҆брѣстѝ:
6 But yet for these men there is but small blame, for they too perhaps go astray while they are seeking God and desiring to find him.
7 въ дѣ́лѣхъ бо є҆гѡ̀ живꙋ́ще и҆зслѣ́дꙋютъ и҆ ᲂу҆вѣщава́ютсѧ зра́комъ, ꙗ҆́кѡ бла̑га ви̑димаѧ.
7 For they diligently search while living among his works, and they trust their sight that the things that they look at are beautiful.
8 Па́ки нижѐ сі́и проще́нїѧ досто́йни:
8 But again even they are not to be excused.
9 а҆́ще бо толи́кѡ возмого́ша вѣ́дѣти, да возмо́гꙋтъ ᲂу҆разꙋмѣ́ти вѣ́къ, си́хъ же влⷣкꙋ ка́кѡ скорѣ́е не ѡ҆брѣто́ша;
9 For if they had power to know so much, that they should be able to explore the world, how is it that they didn’t find the Sovereign Lord sooner?
10 Ѡ҆каѧ́нни же сꙋ́ть, и҆ въ ме́ртвыхъ ᲂу҆пова̑нїѧ и҆́хъ, и҆̀же назва́ша бо́ги дѣла̀ рꙋ́къ человѣ́ческихъ, зла́то и҆ сребро̀, хи́трости ᲂу҆мышле́нїе, и҆ подѡ́бїѧ живо́тныхъ, и҆лѝ ка́менїе неключи́мо, дѣ́ло рꙋкѝ дре́внїѧ.
10 But they were miserable, and their hopes were in dead things, who called them gods which are works of men’s hands, gold and silver, skillfully made, and likenesses of animals, or a useless stone, the work of an ancient hand.
11 А҆́ще же кто̀ дровосѣ́чецъ тектѡ́нъ, ᲂу҆го́дное дре́во ѿсѣ́къ, ѡ҆те́шетъ благохꙋдо́жнѣ всю̀ корꙋ̀ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ хи́трствꙋѧ благолѣ́пнѣ сотвори́тъ ᲂу҆го́денъ сосꙋ́дъ во ᲂу҆потребле́нїе житїѧ̀,
11 Yes and some woodcutter might saw down a tree that is easily moved, skillfully strip away all its bark, and fashion it in attractive form, make a useful vessel to serve his life’s needs.
12 ѡ҆ста́нки же дѣ́ла на ᲂу҆гото́ванїе бра́шна и҆знꙋри́въ насы́тисѧ:
12 Burning the scraps from his handiwork to cook his food, he eats his fill.
13 ѡ҆ста́нокъ же и҆́же ѿ ни́хъ ни во что̀ благопотре́бенъ, дре́во кри́во и҆ сꙋ́чїѧ по́лно, прїи́мъ и҆зваѧ̀ съ прилѣжа́нїемъ пра́здности своеѧ̀ и҆ и҆скꙋ́сствомъ ра́зꙋма и҆з̾ѡбразѝ є҆го̀, и҆ ᲂу҆подо́би є҆го̀ ѡ҆́бразꙋ человѣ́чꙋ,
13 Taking a discarded scrap which served no purpose, a crooked piece of wood and full of knots, he carves it with the diligence of his idleness, and shapes it by the skill of his idleness. He shapes it in the image of a man,
14 и҆лѝ нѣ́коемꙋ живо́тномꙋ ничто́жномꙋ ᲂу҆подо́би є҆го̀, пома́завъ ша́рами разли́чными и҆ ѡ҆червлени́въ ви́дъ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ всѧ́къ поро́къ, и҆́же на не́мъ є҆́сть, и҆зма́завъ,
14 or makes it like some worthless animal, smearing it with something red, painting it red, and smearing over every stain in it.
15 и҆ сотвори́въ є҆мꙋ̀ досто́йное є҆гѡ̀ ѡ҆бита́нїе, на стѣнѣ̀ поста́ви є҆̀, ᲂу҆крѣпи́въ желѣ́зомъ.
15 Having made a worthy chamber for it, he sets it in a wall, securing it with iron.
16 Да не ᲂу҆́бѡ паде́тъ, пред̾ꙋмы́сли ѡ҆ не́мъ, вѣ́дый, ꙗ҆́кѡ не мо́жетъ помощѝ себѣ̀: и҆́бо і҆́дѡлъ є҆́сть и҆ тре́бꙋетъ по́мощи.
16 He plans for it that it may not fall down, knowing that it is unable to help itself (for truly it is an image, and needs help).
17 Ѡ҆ стѧжа́нїихъ же и҆ ѡ҆ бра́цѣхъ и҆ ча́дѣхъ свои́хъ молѧ́сѧ, не стыди́тсѧ къ бездꙋ́шномꙋ глаго́лѧ,
17 When he makes his prayer concerning goods and his marriage and children, he is not ashamed to speak to that which has no life.
18 и҆ ѡ҆ здра́вїи ᲂу҆́бѡ немощно́е призыва́етъ, и҆ ѡ҆ животѣ̀ ме́ртвое мо́литъ, и҆ въ по́мощь неключи́мое призыва́етъ,
18 Yes, for health, he calls upon that which is weak. For life, he implores that which is dead. For aid, he supplicates that which has no experience. For a good journey, he asks that which can’t so much as move a step.
19 и҆ ѡ҆ пꙋтеше́ствїи (про́ситъ) нижѐ ходи́ти могꙋ́щаго, и҆ ѡ҆ притѧжа́нїи и҆ дѣѧ́нїи и҆ ѡ҆ рꙋ́къ подтвержде́нїи некрѣ́пкаго рꙋка́ми, мꙋ́жества про́ситъ ѿ тогѡ̀, є҆́же всѣ́хъ є҆́сть немощнѣ́йшее.
19 And for profit in business and good success of his hands, he asks ability from that which has hands with no ability.
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).
… philosophers, I used to compare some teachings of theirs with those long fables of the Manichæans and the former things which they declared, who could only prevail so far as to estimate this lower world, while its lord they could by no means find out, seemed to me the more probable.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… to see with eyes of flesh: but from the works, which are Divine, it is possible to attain to some conception of His power, according to Solomon, who says, For by the greatness and beauty of the creatures proportionably the Maker of them is seen.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… but, saith He, "he that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Vain, assuredly, are all men in whom the knowledge of God is not, and who could not, out of the good things which are seen, find out Him who is good. But I was no longer in that vanity; I had surmounted it, and by the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… incorporeal and invisible, that thou mayest abhor those who blaspheme the wise and good Artificer, and from what is spoken and read, and whatever thou canst thyself discover or conceive, from the greatness and beauty of the creatures mayest proportionably see the maker of them, and bending the knee with godly reverence to the Maker of the worlds, the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… use of the rules discovered and laid down by those who are rebuked by Holy Writ in these terms: "For if they were able to know so much that they could weigh the world, how did they not more easily find out the Lord thereof?"
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)