Wisdom of Solomon · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Wisdom of Solomon 12 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
1 Τὸ γὰρ ἄφθαρτόν σου πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἐν πᾶσι.
1 For your incorruptible spirit is in all things.
2 Διὸ τοὺς παραπίπτοντας κατʼ ὀλίγον ἐλέγχεις, καὶ ἐν οἷς ἁμαρτάνουσιν ὑπομιμνήσκων νουθετεῖς, ἵνα ἀπαλλαγέντες τῆς κακίας πιστεύσωσιν ἐπὶ σὲ Κύριε.
2 Therefore you convict little by little those who fall from the right way, and, putting them in remembrance by the things wherein they sin, you admonish them, that escaping from their wickedness they may believe in you, O Lord.
3 Καὶ γὰρ τοὺς παλαιοὺς οἰκήτορας τῆς ἁγίας σου γῆς
3 For truly the old inhabitants of your holy land,
4 μισήσας, ἐπὶ τῷ ἔχθιστα πράσσειν ἔργα φαρμακειῶν, καὶ τελετὰς ἀνοσίους,
4 hating them because they practiced detestable works of enchantments and unholy rites—
5 τέκνων τε φονέας ἀνελεήμονας, καὶ σπλαγχνοφάγων ἀνθρωπίνων σαρκῶν θοῖναν,
5 merciless slaughters of children and sacrificial banquets of men’s flesh and of blood—
6 καὶ αἴματος ἐκ μέσου μυσταθείας σου, καὶ αὐθέντας γονεῖς ψυχῶν ἀβοηθήτων, ἐβουλήθης ἀπολέσαι διὰ χειρῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν·
6 allies in an impious fellowship, and murderers of their own helpless babes, it was your counsel to destroy by the hands of our fathers;
7 ἵνα ἀξίαν ἀποικίαν δέξηται Θεοῦ παίδων ἡ παρὰ σοὶ πασῶν τιμιωτάτη γῆ.
7 that the land which in your sight is most precious of all might receive a worthy colony of God’s servants.
8 Ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτων ὡς ἀνθρώπων ἐφείσω, ἀπέστειλάς τε προδρόμους τοῦ στρατοπέδου σου σφῆκας, ἵνα αὐτοὺς καταβραχὺ ἐξολοθρεύσωσιν.
8 Nevertheless you even spared these as men, and you sent hornets as forerunners of your army, to cause them to perish little by little.
9 Οὐκ ἀδυνατῶν ἐν παρατάξει ἀσεβεῖς δικαίοις ὑποχειρίους δοῦναι, ἢ θηρίοις δεινοῖς, ἢ λόγῳ ἀποτόμῳ ὑφʼ ἓν ἐκτρίψαι·
9 Not that you were unable to subdue the ungodly under the hand of the righteous in battle, or by terrible beasts or by a stern word to make away with them at once,
10 κρίνων δὲ καταβραχὺ ἐδίδους τόπον μετανοίας, οὐκ ἀγνοῶν, ὅτι πονηρὰ ἡ γένεσις αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔμφυτος ἡ κακία αὐτῶν, καὶ ὅτι οὐ μὴ ἀλλαγῇ ὁ λογισμὸς αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·
10 but judging them little by little you gave them a chance to repent, not being ignorant that their nature by birth was evil, their wickedness inborn, and that their manner of thought would never be changed.
11 σπέρμα γὰρ ἦν κατηραμένον ἀπʼ ἀρχῆς· οὐδὲ εὐλαβούμενός τινα, ἐφʼ οἷς ἡμάρτανον ἄδειαν ἐδίδους.
11 For they were a cursed seed from the beginning. It wasn’t through fear of any that you left them unpunished for their sins.
12 Τίς γὰρ ἐρεῖ, τί ἐποίησας; ἢ τίς ἀντιστήσεται τῷ κρίματί σου; τίς δὲ ἐγκαλέσει σοι κατὰ ἐθνῶν ἀπολωλότων, ἃ σὺ ἐποίησας; ἢ τίς εἰς κατάστασίν σοι ἐλεύσεται ἔκδικος κατὰ ἀδίκων ἀνθρώπων;
12 For who will say, “What have you done?” Or “Who will withstand your judgment?” Who will accuse you for the perishing of nations which you caused? Or who will come and stand before you as an avenger for unrighteous men?
13 Οὔτε γὰρ Θεός ἐστι πλὴν σοῦ, ᾧ μέλει περὶ πάντων, ἵνα δείξῃς ὅτι οὐκ ἀδίκως ἔκρινας.
13 For there isn’t any God beside you that cares for all, that you might show that you didn’t judge unrighteously.
14 Οὔτε βασιλεὺς ἢ τύραννος ἀντοφθαλμῆσαι δυνήσεταί σοι περὶ ὧν ἀπώλεσας.
14 No king or prince will be able to confront you about those whom you have punished.
15 Δίκαιος δὲ ὢν δικαίως τὰ πάντα διέπεις, αὐτὸν τὸν μὴ ὀφείλοντα κολασθῆναι καταδικάσαι ἀλλότριαν ἡγούμενος τῆς σῆς δυνάμεως.
15 But being righteous, you rule all things righteously, deeming it a thing alien from your power to condemn one who doesn’t deserve to be punished.
16 Ἡ γὰρ ἰσχύς σου δικαιοσύνης ἀρχὴ, καὶ τὸ πάντων σε δεσπόζειν, πάντων φείδεσθαι ποιεῖ.
16 For your strength is the source of righteousness, and your sovereignty over all makes you to forbear all.
17 Ἰσχὺν γὰρ ἐνδείκνυσαι ἀπιστούμενος ἐπὶ δυνάμεως τελειότητι, καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰδόσι τὸ θράσος ἐξελέγχεις.
17 For when men don’t believe that you are perfect in power, you show your strength, and in dealing with those who think this, you confuse their boldness.
18 Σὺ δὲ δεσπόζεν ἰσχύος ἐν ἐπιεικείᾳ κρίνεις καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς φειδοῦς διοικεῖς ἡμᾶς· πάρεστι γάρ σοι ὅταν θέλῃς τὸ δύνασθαι.
18 But you, being sovereign in strength, judge in gentleness, and with great forbearance you govern us; for the power is yours whenever you desire it.
19 Ἐδίδαξας δέ σου τὸν λαὸν διὰ τῶν τοιούτων ἔργων, ὅτι δεῖ τὸν δίκαιον εἶναι φιλάνθρωπον· καὶ εὐέλπιδας ἐποίησας τοὺς υἱούς σου, ὅτι δίδως ἑπὶ ἁμαρτήμασι μετάνοιαν.
19 But you taught your people by such works as these, how the righteous must be kind. You made your sons to have good hope, because you give repentance when men have sinned.
20 Εἰ γὰρ ἐχθροὺς παίδων σου καὶ ὀφειλομένους θανάτῳ μετὰ τοσαύτης ἐτιμώρησας προσοχῆς καὶ δεήσεως, δοὺς χρόνους καὶ τόπον διʼ ὧν ἀπαλλαγῶσι τῆς κακίας·
20 For if on those who were enemies of your servants and deserving of death, you took vengeance with so great deliberation and indulgence, giving them times and opportunities when they might escape from their wickedness,
21 μετὰ πόσης ἀκριβείας ἔκρινας τοὺς υἱούς σου ὧν τοῖς πατράσιν ὅρκους καὶ συνθήκας ἔδωκας ἀγαθῶν ὑποσχέσεων;
21 with how great care you judged your sons, to whose fathers you gave oaths and covenants of good promises!
22 Ἡμᾶς οὖν παιδεύων, τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ἡμῶν ἐν μυριότητι μαστιγοῖς, ἵνα σου τὴν ἀγαθότητα μεριμνῶμεν κρίνοντες, κρινόμενοι δὲ προσδοκῶμει ἔλεος.
22 Therefore while you chasten us, you scourge our enemies ten thousand times more, to the intent that we may ponder your goodness when we judge, and when we are judged may look for mercy.
23 Ὅθεν καὶ τοὺς ἐν ἀφροσύνῃ ζωῆς βιώσαντας ἀδίκους, διὰ τῶν ἰδίων ἐβασάνισας βδελυγμάτων.
23 Therefore also the unrighteous that lived in a life of folly, you tormented through their own abominations.
24 Καὶ γὰρ τῶν πλάνης ὁδῶν μακρότερον ἐπλανήθησαν, θεοὺς ὑπολαμβάνοντες τὰ καὶ ἐν ζώοις τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἄτιμα, νηπίων δίκην ἀφρόνων ψευσθέντες.
24 For truly they went astray very far in the ways of error, Taking as gods those animals which even among their enemies were held in dishonor, deceived like foolish babes.
25 Διὰ τοῦτο ὡς παισὶν ἀλογίστοις τὴν κρίσιν εἰς ἐμπαιγμὸν ἔπεμψας.
25 Therefore, as to unreasoning children, you sent your judgment to mock them.
26 Οἱ δὲ παιγνίοις ἐπιτιμήσεως μὴ νουθετηθέντες, ἀξίαν Θεοῦ κρίσιν πειράσουσιν.
26 But those who would not be admonished by mild correction will experience the deserved judgment of God.
27 Ἐφʼ οἷς γὰρ αὐτοὶ πάσχοντες ἠγανάκτουν, ἐπὶ τούτοις οὓς ἐδόκουν θεοὺς, ἐν αὐτοῖς κολαζόμενοι, ἰδόντες ὃν πάλαι ἠρνοῦντο εἰδέναι, Θεὸν ἐπέγνωσαν ἀληθῆ· διὸ καὶ τὸ τέρμα τῆς καταδίκης ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἐπῆλθε.
27 For through the sufferings they were indignant of, being punished in these creatures which they supposed to be gods, they saw and recognized as the true God him whom they previously refused to know. Therefore also the result of extreme condemnation came upon them.
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).
For that is to be observed and remembered which is written in the Wisdom of Solomon, "But Thou, Lord of power, judgest with tranquillity, and with great favour orderest us." The "wrath" of God then is an emotion which is produced in the soul which knoweth the law of God, when it sees this same law transgressed by the sinner.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… read of also in Wisdom, whence it is written, "Therefore unto them, as to children without the use of reason, Thou didst give a judgment to mock them; But they that have not been corrected by this judgment have felt a judgment worthy of God." Whoso then are not corrected by this hidden judgment of God, shall most worthily be …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)